Oireachtas is told to overhaul ethics rules

The Oireachtas has been told to overhaul its ethics rules and tighten up the travel expenses regime for politicians following a Supreme Court ruling against a former Fianna Fáil senator.

The current definition of “normal place of residence” for the purpose of politicians claiming travel allowances should no longer be used, lawyers have advised Oireachtas officials.

It comes after the courts agreed former senator Ivor Callely misrepresented his normal place of residence as being in Bantry, Cork, rather than in Clontarf, Dublin, when claiming €80,000 in mileage expenses.