Pressure mounts on O'Donoghue over expenses row

Unprecedented pressure was heaped on Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue today after a senior Government minister branded the expenses controversy a running sore that needed dealing with.

Green Party leader John Gormley, whose party is locked in intensive talks with Fianna Fáil to save the Government, said a culture of lavish spending of taxpayers’ money by public representatives was unacceptable.