Cowen demands solution to mileage mystery
They spoke as Taoiseach Brian Cowen was preparing to demand Mr Callely write a full account of his expenses for the Seanad’s ethic’s committee.
The demand was conveyed via Fianna Fáil general secretary, Sean Dorgan.
Fine Gael Seanad leader, Frances Fitzgerald, said reports the Dublin-based former junior minister used his Cork address as a base for expenses was a cause of serious public concern.
She said the Seanad was the forum for him to publicly account for why he was deemed entitled to €3,987-a-month payments for travelling from Bantry and not the €1,354 he would of earned had he registered his Dublin home.
Independent senator Joe O’Toole said he wanted to afford Mr Callely the opportunity to explain himself before judging him.
However, Mr O’Toole said the Seanad had to be seen to police itself and could not let issues such as these escape scrutiny.
Cathaoirleach of chamber, Pat Moylan, said the Seanad had no power to deal with the matter directly but it would likely be discussed at the committee of procedures and privileges.
Labour Party senator Alex White said it was a matter of serious urgent concern and the Seanad should clarify what was the most appropriate way of dealing with it.
Fianna Fáil senator Marc MacSharry said there was dwindling trust in politics and there should be a full debate on all members’ expenses.
He said this would give all senators, including Mr Callely, the opportunity to explain his affairs in public.
Mr Callely’s circumstances and his absence from the Seanad chamber overshadowed the widely applauded publication of senators expenses online.
These revealed 58 senators claimed €323,403 during March and April. Fianna Fáil senator Mark Daly did not submit expenses for the two months.
Meanwhile, Mr Callely returned the money claimed for March by cheque. This claim related to his Bantry address and the Oireachtas had been questioning his arrangements.
The expenses breakdown revealed the new system, designed to save money, is actually costing the Oireachtas more than the old regime. In March and April 20 senators used receipts to vouch for their travel. The average monthly claim for these was €3,109.31.
Over the same period 38 senators opted for the unvouched system where standard expenses are paid out regardless of how much a member travels. The average for this was €2,616.83.
However, Green Party senator Mark Dearey said his colleagues still believed a fully vouched system was the most transparent way of allocating expenses for politicians.
