Beleaguered minister Callely resigns

The Government has accepted the resignation of Minister of State Ivor Callely, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil this morning.

In a statement issued through his office, Mr Ahern added: “Deputy Ivor Callely has tendered his resignation in writing to me as a Minister of State this morning and I have accepted it.

“He did so in the public interest and in view of the fact that the ongoing controversies made it impossible for him to effectively and productively carry out his ministerial duties.

“I thanked the Deputy for his dedicated contribution to the work of the Government in his roles in the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Transport over the past three years.”

Yesterday’s Budget Day was overshadowed by the controversy that Mr Callely’s home was renovated for free by a building firm in the early 1990s.

John Paul Construction was also engaged at the time in a major contract for the Eastern Health Board, of which Mr Callely was chairman.

The Dublin North Central TD refused to quit because he claimed he has done nothing wrong.