Taoiseach urged to take lead and demand resignation from Callely

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen was urged to intervene directly in the Ivor Callely affair last night, after one of his ministers called on the senator to quit the Oireachtas.

Fine Gael’s Seanad justice spokesman Eugene Regan said it was not good enough for Junior Education Minister Sean Haughey to take the lead on a Callely resignation push, and the demand should come from the head of the Government.

Mr Haughey’s call came after ethics watchdogs announced it was probing whether the senator declared all his property interests to officials, as well as a separate inquiry into his claiming of €3,000 for mobile phones using documents from a company that ceased trading several years previously.