Burke defends his right to European Parliament seat

IRELAND’S newest member of the European Parliament does not believe he has cheated the public by claiming the lucrative seat without facing a public vote.

Nor does Fine Gael’s Colm Burke feel there is anything wrong with how his predecessor Simon Coveney managed his seat in Brussels.

Instead he said his name was on the ballot paper alongside his party colleague during the 2004 elections and the people in the south of Ireland had their say.