O'Keefe guilty of breaching Ethics Act

The Dail’s Public Offices Commission has found Fianna Fail TD Ned O’Keefe guilty of breaching the Ethics in Public Office Act by failing to declare his family’s farming interests.

During a Dail debate on a proposal to ban the feeding of bonemeal to animals last year, Mr O’Keefe, who was Junior Agriculture Minister at the time, voted against the plan.

However, he did not inform the Dail that his family was involved in manufacturing the substance.

He subsequently resigned his ministerial position.

The Public Offices Commission ruled that Mr O’Keefe’s actions contravened two sections of the Ethics in Public Office Act - but not intentionally.

The Dail committee on members’ interests will now decide if any action should be taken against him.