Senior TDs round on O’Donoghue over expenses

EMBATTLED Dáil Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue was last night under mounting pressure to fully explain his “disgusting” expenses bill and unreservedly apologise for it.

Senior TDs finally broke ranks and rounded on Mr O’Donoghue after a long-awaited statement from him, regarding the more than €500,000 taxpayers forked out for his often lavish travel arrangements while Arts and Tourism Minister, was branded totally inadequate.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny insisted a letter from him to TDs did not go far enough and a full public apology was now needed.

Party colleague Senator Paschal Donoghue lashed the ex-minister’s travel bill as a “disgusting waste of public money”.

Fellow Fianna Fáil TD Mattie McGrath ridiculed the Ceann Comhairle for behaving like royalty. And Labour’s Roisín Shortall warned Mr O’Donoghue that he clearly did not appreciate the level of “shock” at his lavish travelling and would find it difficult to continue to command the confidence of the Dáil if he did not apologise.

A stream of revelations about travel bills run-up by Mr O’Donoghue and his entourage included €1,400 a day spent on a chauffeur at the Cheltenham races, €1,000 a night hotel suites in Venice and Paris and travel costs topping €500,000 while “Minister for Fun”.

In the carefully worded letter, Mr O’Donoghue said he “regretted” some of the expenses “appeared” high, but it would not be “proper” for him to become involved in public debate over his time spent as a minister.

“I sincerely regret... that some of these high costs occurred, although a minister or an office-holder would not be apprised of such expenditure at this level of detail either on an ongoing basis or in fact at all,” he said.

“It has to be borne in mind also that while some costs of the arrangements appear high and have caused disquiet, there were legitimate and in accordance with the Department of Finance guidelines.”

Mr O’Donoghue pledged to reduce TDs expenses in his role as Dáil speaker.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen refused to criticise the former minister’s level of expenses, but stressed new arrangements had been put in place this summer in relation to ministerial expenses.

Green minister John Gormley said a system of vouched expenses, where TDs and senators provide receipts, is now required.