Kenny refuses to criticise party’s ‘Ash Cloud Three’

FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny has refused to criticise three of his TDs who had the Dáil record changed so their absences, caused by Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud, would not be highlighted.

Mr Kenny made no comment after it emerged that James Reilly, Bernard Allen and Jim O’Keeffe had asked Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk to mark them present when they missed a week last April because they were stuck overseas.

The three have now opted to tell the Oireachtas not to count those days as part of their annual expenses claim.