Burton wants Healy-Rae off Citizens' Information Board

Joan Burton has said that she will remove Michael Healy-Rae from the board of Citizens' Information if he does not resign.

When asked by reporters earlier today if he thought there could be a connection between that and the timing of revelations about the calls made from the Dáil, Mr Healy-Rae said you "wouldn't have to be Einstein to figure out something was going on".

But the Social Protection Minister has said Deputy Healy-Rae is being treated like any other politician on the board of a quango.

Ms Bruton said: "For 25 years in this country, we have worked to a system where deputies who are legislators and who are well paid and well rewarded out of the public purse, do not serve on boards.

"We are simply applying the same rules to that particular individual as we would apply to any other deputy from any party or no party at all."