Averil Power insists printing 73,000 calendars through the Oireachtas had ‘nothing to do with election’

Independent senator Averil Power has insisted her decision to print 73,000 calendars through the Oireachtas and send them to voters has “nothing to do with the election”, after being heavily criticised for spending taxpayers’ money on the move.

The ex-Fianna Fáil member made the claim after the scale of the printing was revealed yesterday.

Freedom of Information Act files show Ms Power used the Oireachtas in-house printing service to produce 73,000 calendars (half the number of eligible voters in the Dáil constituency Ms Power is contesting next year) costing €2,700 in total.