FF contradicts Dempsey in 'misuse of funds' row
The disclosure, by party sources, seems to contradict Mr Dempsey's version of events. Yesterday he told RTÉ's News at One: "I was requested by Fianna Fáil to provide them with that information. I responded to that."
Mr Dempsey was under considerable pressure yesterday after it was revealed he used taxpayer's resources to compile the documents for Fianna Fáil candidates in the upcoming local elections.
Mr Dempsey's difficulties were compounded when Taoiseach Bertie Ahern seemed to distance himself from his Education Minister. Responding to the controversy, he said it would not be usual for documents to be compiled by a Department and sent directly to party candidates.
The Department of Education press office collated information individually for each county and distributed information packs to hundreds of Fianna Fáil local election candidates.
The packs featured the Fianna Fáil slogan ('A lot done, more to do') and a picture of Mr Dempsey. It also contained detailed information of all building work carried out in schools in the relevant county over the past five years.
A Department spokesman was unable to say yesterday whether the request had been made by Fianna Fáil headquarters or by individual candidates. Neither was the Department in a position to say how many of the briefing packs had been distributed to candidates nor what it cost.
The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) yesterday confirmed it will seek information from the Department about the briefing packs to determine if the Minister had breached strict guidelines for public office holders.
Mr Ahern said it was unusual for documents prepared by a Department to go directly to party candidates. In his only public response to the controversy, Mr Dempsey said that in his experience it was not unusual.
"This information was not compiled exclusively for Fianna Fáil candidates," he said. "It's publicly available."
However, he said if SIPO deemed he had breached the guidelines, he would accept its decision.
The opposition renewed its political onslaught on Mr Dempsey yesterday.
Fine Gael's education spokesperson Olwyn Enright questioned the Minister's position.
"In other jurisdictions Minister Dempsey's most recent abuse of his position and misappropriation of funds would be a resigning matter," she said.
Her Labour Party counterpart Jan O'Sullivan said it raised very serious questions about Mr Dempsey's political judgment.
"Even more serious questions are raised by his refusal to recognise the seriousness of the abuse of public facilities that has taken place," she said.
