Minister claims expenses were over-stated

Fianna Fáil's Mary Coughlan, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, has accused the Standards in Public Office Commission of overstating her election expenditure figures.

The commission said earlier today that Ms Coughlan spent €36,271more that the legal limit on her election campaign last year.

The minister claimed the figures were over-stated, but admitted that she over-spent the legal limit by almost €10,000.