Callely hits out at ‘lynch mob’ and ‘sham’ senator

CONTROVERSIAL Senator Ivor Callely said a member of the committee who investigated his expense claims was a “sham” and part of a “lynch mob”.

He made the charges against Independent Senator Joe O’Toole, who he said was denying him “the right to free speech” in exchanges that led to the Seanad being suspended twice yesterday.

Mr Callely was attempting to make a personal “statement of explanation” on his expense claims, arguing he “owes it to” the people of Ireland to do so.

Mr Callely has been attempting to make a personal statement since January, when the Seanad voted to appeal his High Court victory against a 20-day suspension.

The suspension was ordered by a Seanad committee which found he acted inappropriately in seeking travel expenses from an address in West Cork instead of his home in Clontarf where he was based as a TD.

The senator yesterday wrote to the chair of the house requesting time to make such a statement.

Mr Callely was told there was no provision for him to make such a statement and when he refused to stop speaking, the house was suspended.

When it resumed, Mr Callely again tried to make a statement again. “Are people afraid of what I’m going to say? Are people afraid of the truth? What is wrong with putting the truth on the record of the house?”

Mr O’Toole, who sat on the committee investigating his claims, said the Seanad “gave every opportunity to Senator Callely to have a discussion, and adjourned twice one night for that purpose, but he refused to do so.”

He said Mr Callely also failed to turn up to the last meeting of the committee. “We waited two hours for him here, and he did not have the manners to ring back and say he was not coming in.”

But Mr Callely hit back saying Mr O’Toole was a “thundering disgrace” because “he is denying me the right to free speech”.

He said: “He is a sham. He is a lynch mob. He is part of a lynch mob.”