Senator did declare properties, rules watchdog
Senators dismissed a complaint from a member of the public that the embattled Mr Callely had not listed his entire property portfolio.
The upper house’s members’ interests committee said that the houses referred to were owned by other people in the senator’s family and the matter did not breach the standards in public office act.
“The committee considered whether the senator had breached the obligations as set out in Section 5 of the 1995 act as amended.
“Having duly considered the complaint and the response received by Senator Calelly, the committee determined that Senator Callely had not contravened Section 5 of the 1995 act as amended
“Having reviewed the materials received from Senator Callely the committee accepted that the properties referred to in the complaint were not owned by Senator Callely but rather were owned by family members of the senator.
“Consequently, no action will be taken against Senator Callely,” a statement from the investigating committee said.
The ruling will come as a relief for Mr Callely who is engaged in a court battle to overturn a previous ruling by the committee regarding his travel and subsistence expenses.
The watchdog body ruled in July that the Senator must be suspended from the Seanad for 20 days as punishment for deliberately misrepresenting his main residence in order to claim up to €81,015 in travel expenses to and from his residence in Bantry Bay despite having a family home in north Dublin.
The committee is also probing complaints regarding expense claims for mobile phone units put forward by Mr Callely.
