THE LEADERS of the two main Opposition parties have made their first major interventions in the controversy surrounding the foreign travel expenses of Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said last night Mr O’Donoghue may have to “consider his position”, while his Labour counterpart Eamon Gilmore called for a meeting of all party leaders to discuss the controversy.
Their interventions followed the release of figures at the weekend showing Mr O’Donoghue incurred costs of €90,000 in foreign travel since taking up office in June 2007.
Mr Kenny said he was instructing the three Fine Gael members of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to request the Ceann Comhairle to reduce his staffing levels, remove his special adviser Dan Collins from his position and repay any costs incurred that did not directly relate to his office. “If these are not addressed directly by the Ceann Comhairle and the Oireachtas Commission, the Ceann Comhairle should consider his position,” said Mr Kenny through his spokesman.
The commission, which is chaired by Mr O’Donoghue, runs the Oireachtas.
Separately, Mr Gilmore said the debate over Mr O’Donoghue’s expenses had the potential to cause “serious damage to the office of the Ceann Comhairle, to the Dáil and to our democratic system”. The disclosures of recent months, including in documents placed in the Dáil Library on Friday, would “appear to suggest a pattern of extravagance which is unacceptable to the taxpayers who are paying the bill”, he said.