Senators allow Callely two weeks to seek legal advice

SENATORS investigating mobile phone expense claims by Ivor Callely are expected to be asked today to adjourn their inquiry for two weeks to give the embattled politician time to seek legal advice.

The Select Committee on Members’ Interests has received submissions from four senators in relation to complaints over expenses. It will meet today at 2pm in private to discuss the replies.

Senator Callely has told the Seanad watchdog he needs two weeks to discuss allegations he used fake receipts to claim up to €3,000 in phone expenses with his barrister, who is currently on holiday.

“For the committee not to grant it would give him strong grounds for a judicial review on the basis that he’s not being given his basic rights to defend himself,” said a political source.

The select committee will also discuss a response from fellow-Fianna Fáil senator Ann Ormonde over travel expenses claimed for a period from her holiday home in Waterford.

It is understood the Dublin-based senator has said she switched her expense claims to the Waterford residence for a number of months some years ago while building work was being carried out there.

Ms Ormonde has said she has utility bills which back up her claim.

“When that work was completed she regularised it [the expenses] and since the new Seanad sat almost three years ago, no issue of a claim from outside Dublin has arisen,” added the source.

Despite the senator standing over her expenses, it remains unclear if the committee will accept her reasons.

The committee will also discuss a reply from a third Fianna Fáil senator, Larry Butler, over travel expenses he claimed from his Kilkenny residence when his Dublin home was listed as his address.

Mr Butler maintains that he was staying in his Graiguenamanagh home and he stayed on and off at his Foxrock residence in Dublin, but at one stage he had decided to sell it but held off because of the property market collapse.

In relation to a separate complaint against Independent senator Ronan Mullen over not revealing the name of a politician who advised him to falsify his expenses, the committee is expected to decide this is a “non-issue”.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear if the Seanad watchdog will investigate reports that Ivor Callely claimed expenses for up to 5,000 miles a month while junior health minister.

Fine Gael Justice spokesman Senator Eugene Regan yesterday reiterated his call for Taoiseach Brian Cowen to seek Mr Callely’s resignation following the report in the Sunday Tribune that he received €87,000 in mileage expenses over two years while living centrally in Dublin.