Healy-Rae claims €41k expenses in six months

INDEPENDENT TD Jackie Healy-Rae, one of the fiercest critics of the travel bills run up by former Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue, himself claimed more than €41,000 in expenses for the first six months of this year.

Figures published yesterday showed Mr Healy-Rae claimed €41,582 in travel and subsistence expenses from January to the end of June. Since the 2007 general election, he has received a total of €188,451 in expenses. This is on top of his TD’s salary of circa €101,000 a year.

The figures were released to the Sunday Tribune under the Freedom of Information Act. Mr Healy-Rae is a constituency rival of Mr O’Donoghue in Kerry South and was critical of him during the recent expenses controversy that led to Mr O’Donoghue resigning as Ceann Comhairle. At one point during the controversy, Mr Healy-Rae said it was “nonsense” for Mr O’Donoghue to suggest he was unaware of the costs involved in the trips he made.