Party leaders collude over O’Donoghue expenses scandal

The issue now is not so much the wanton abuse of public funds by John O’Donoghue as Ceann Comhairle and previously as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, but the feeble reaction of the Opposition parties to the scandal and the continued complicity of Fianna Fail.

In May 2006, accompanied by his wife, he went by the government jet for a six-day trip to the Cannes film Festival. He was flown back to Kerry from Cannes to attend the opening off offices in his constituency; theyn flown to Cardiff for the Heineken Cup final; back to Cannes for more film festivities, then to London for a Ryder Cup promotional event and back to Dublin, all at a cost of €32,450.

He incurred costs of €21,289 for the hire of limousines when visiting Britain in 2006 and 2007, most of these visits coinciding with trips to race meetings. He spent €472 on a limousine to commute between terminals at Heathrow where there was a free bus available for passengers who wanted to make the trip.

John O’Donoghue insisted he acted in "good faith". By that stage none of the Opposition parties had questioned his continuance in office in the face of such revelations.

Then last Saturday, in anticipation of further revelations by the Sunday Tribune of his expenses as Ceann Comhairle, his office disclosed the information that as  Ceann Comhairle €45,000 was spent on internal flights, while a reported €5,000 was claimed for VIP lounge access. Further spending included presents for dignitaries and flights for his wife. Coincidently, two of John O'Dononghue's trips to Paris took place at the same time as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. On 4 October 2009 the full extent of O'Donoghue's trips to the Paris were revealed by several national newspapers. It was reported that in 2007, Mr O Donoghue spent two days at the races, while his meeting with the French National Assembly took place while travelling between his hotel and Charles de Gaulle airport. Further spending included €1,543 spend on transport over a three day period and hotel costs in excess of €500 per night.

In spite of all this no TD is calling for his resignation as Ceann Comhairle. Eamon Gilmore merely called for a meeting of all party leaders to discuss the controversy. Enda Kenny has said next Wednesday's meeting of the Oireachtas Commission is the proper forum to examine where accountability lies over the controversial expenses.