Callely controversy - Minister’s position untenable

Ivor Callely’s position as Minister for State at the Department of Transport became utterly untenable yesterday.

This is following confirmation that one of the country’s biggest building contractors, John Paul Construction, had footed the bill for decorating his home in the early 1990s.

The company stated it “did not receive any payment or other benefit” for arranging the work, but the real issue is not whether there was anything improper about the arrangement itself.

There must be no grounds for even the slightest suspicion of any favours to a deputy that might influence his subsequent decisions as a minister.

All members of Government must to be seen to be above suspicion in such matters.

As chairman of a health board, Mr Callely left himself wide open to suspicion by not paying for work that was done on his home.

Mr Callely has the reputation of being a very hard worker, but he has been plagued by staff difficulties.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil yesterday that he had been unable to contact Mr Callely either the previous night or that morning.

He added that, with an apparent degree of understatement, he was “not impressed”.

It is clearly not a question of whether, but when and how, the resignation of Mr Callely should be announced.