Brian Crowley: ‘Work did not stop while I was in hospital’

Ireland’s longest-serving MEP who announced his retirement from politics has defended taking his EU salary while he was in hospital for nearly four years and claimed he hasn’t spoken to his party leader since mid-2014.

Brian Crowley, who has served as an MEP since 1994, said he had done nothing wrong by claiming his €95,484 annual salary while he was in hospital. He said during that time he was constantly working on constituents’ enquiries, as were his staff, and therefore he was also entitled to claim a flat-rate monthly allowance of €4,299 to cover office expenses, phone bills, computer equipment, and other costs.