Slapping down for Minister Callely over car offer

EMBATTLED Minister Ivor Callely was given a public slapping down yesterday by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Mr Ahern said it had not been "advisable" for Mr Callely to offer a parliamentary assistant a car as an inducement to stop him resigning. Barely concealing his irritation at the spate of controversies swirling around the transport minister, Mr Ahern said he had given Mr Callely some "useful and meaningful" advice about how to conduct himself in future.

Mr Callely has been embroiled in a series of disputes with senior members of his staff culminating in the car offer.