'Raincloud' hanging over Callely

Senator Ivor Callely has told the committee investigating his expenses claims that he is planning to sell his Co Cork house.

Senator Ivor Callely has told an Oireachtas committee investigating his expenses claims a "raincloud" is hanging over him.

He has been asked to explain his €81,015 travel expenses and why he claimed for the 370km journey between Leinster House and his property in Kilcrohane, west Cork, instead of from his property in Clontarf, Dublin, over a two-year period.

"There's a raincloud hanging over me and my family at the moment and it's not a very nice position to be in," he said.

The Senator, who has resigned the Fianna Fail whip, insisted he had acted honestly and in good faith.

He said "things have happened" to his family home in Clontarf on three occasions when he was not there since the matter of his expenses had been highlighted. The gardai were involved on one occasion, he said.

Under questioning from fellow Senators, Mr Callely said his property in west Cork had been for sale since "2004/05-ish". He said he had never denied the property was for sale and said he was tax compliant.

Asked to describe his average working week, he said it varied depending on the time of year and projects he was undertaking but generally he would go to west Cork on Thursday or Friday and return to Dublin on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.

Independent Senator Joe O'Toole claimed there were "many contradictions" in Mr Callely's evidence and he had put the committee in an absolutely impossible situation.

Mr O'Toole told Mr Calley he was "not able to put together any plausible explanation except to say your primary residence was in Clontarf".

Mr O'Toole said Mr Callely was registered to vote in Dublin, his correspondence was sent there and he advertised clinic times on his website. "Every bit of information in front of us points at Dublin. Nothing points at Cork," Mr O'Toole said.

Under questioning from Labour Senator Alex White, Mr Callely said four times that he would not be "bullied".

Mr Callely is giving evidence to the committee for a second time today. At the first hearing late last month, he insisted that he broke no regulations because he was using the holiday home in west Cork as his principal residence after losing his Dáil seat. He did concede that there were anomalies but asserted that he had been honest in all his dealings in relation to his residence and his expenses’ claims.

Once the committee, chaired by the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Pat Moylan, has completed its public hearings it will go in to private session and decide what, if any, sanctions, will be imposed. It is expected to report on the case to the Seanad before it breaks for the summer recess.

The maximum sanction that can be imposed is a suspension from the Seanad for 30 days.

The committee could also ask Mr Callely to reimburse any expenses that were wrongly claimed. He told an earlier hearing of the committee that he was willing to do so if a finding was made against him.