Ryan says politicians should not be 'policing' each other as Donohoe to give second statement on election spend

Paschal Donohoe has on Thursday told the Dáil that he is now willing to come back into the House to provide further details around his failure to declare that six people were paid to put up posters on his behalf during the 2016 general election campaign. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Politicians should not be "policing" each other, the leader of the Green Party has said.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan was speaking in reaction to the decision by Minister Paschal to make a second Dáil statement in relation to his 2016 election expenses.

The embattled Public Expenditure Minister took members of the opposition by surprise this morning when he announced in the Dáil that he would be willing to make another statement on his failure to declare election expenditure.

During his Dáil statement last night, Mr Donohoe said he would not be making any further public comments on the matter and instead would be allowing the Standards in Public Office to look into the matter.

However, Mr Donohoe this morning told the Dáil that he is now willing to come back into the House to provide further details around his failure to declare that six people were paid to put up posters on his behalf during the 2016 general election campaign. A company van was also used in the work.

He said he would do this "at the earliest possible opportunity" and would be making contact with the Ceann Comhairle about this.

However, later the Dáil was told that Mr Donohoe would not be available today.

The Dáil Business Committee has since agreed that Mr Donohoe will address the Dàil after Taoiseachs Questions on Tuesday. He will speak for 10 minutes before each group will have six minutes for a back and forth questions and answers session. Mr Donohoe will have a five minute wrap up.

Mr Ryan said that while he supports Mr Donohoe's decision, he believes that the issue being played out in the Dáil was "difficult".

"We have to be careful that the Dáil chamber doesn't replace SIPO. It is the job of SIPO to consider if further investigation or any questions are needed. But I'm sure the Ceann Comhairle will facilitate that.

"We have to be careful. Politicians policing politicians is always going to be difficult. Let those without sin cast the first stone."

Earlier on Thursday, at the beginning of what was due to be questions to the Public Expenditure Minister about matters relating to his department, Sinn Féin's Mairead Farrell told the Dáil that "there is no way that we can go back to business as usual" without a full explanation from Mr Donohoe.

She said questions posed by party colleague Pearse Doherty and others in the Opposition remain unanswered.

"The Minister now has an opportunity to answer those questions, indeed he has an hour-and-a-half period to answer those questions. So those questions should be answered," she said.

Mr Donohoe then said he would be willing to provide a further statement to the Dáil "at the earliest possible opportunity".

However, Opposition TDs said it would not be good enough for Mr Donohoe to simply provide another statement and called for a questions and answers session.

On Wednesday evening, Mr Donohoe said that in 2016, the Fine Gael organisation in Dublin Central was offered assistance with his re-election campaign, erecting and removing posters which he understood was on a voluntary basis.

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He said the work was carried out on four dates during the campaign period, before and after polling day with six people involved.

"Neither myself nor anyone involved in my campaign team paid the people concerned, nor was I, at that time, aware they had been paid. For that reason, no cost was attributed to this support on the election expense form submitted to Sipo, following that election."

Mr Donohoe told the Dáil that in December, in light of a complaint made to Sipo he undertook a full review of the campaign in recent weeks.

"During the course of the review, I was made aware that the individuals concerned had been paid for their help in the 2016 campaign. I was not aware before this time of any payment having been made," Mr Donohoe said, telling the Dáil that the total payment to the people involved was €1,100.

The Minister said he was not aware during the election campaign of the use of a company van but became aware of an allegation in 2017 that a company vehicle had been used during the campaign.

"In retrospect, I should have amended my election expenses form at that time to the value of €140 to take account of the commercial value of a vehicle for the hours used. This was a mistake on my part, and I acknowledge and apologise for that error."