ANALYSIS:There is growing anger at O'Donoghue's lavish spending. But his ongoing reaction would suggest he has no intention of resigning, writes HARRY McGEE
THE EFFECT of the continuing controversy about John O’Donoghue’s foreign travel expenses was best summed up by Minister John Gormley who yesterday said it was like a “running sore”.
Senior figures in all parties, on both the Government and Opposition sides, readily acknowledge that the Ceann Comhairle is in a very difficult position over lavish expenditure on hotels, limousines and other extravagances while abroad, both in his current position and as minister for arts, sports and tourism between 2002 and 2007.
The figures this morning of a further €20,000 expenses paid for by Horse Racing Ireland at nine race festivals between 2003 and 2007 is the latest in a series of disclosures since the summer. These have shown that O’Donoghue, often accompanied by his wife Kate Ann, racked up foreign travel expenses of over €500,000 during his last five-year stint as a minister, and of €90,000 since he took up his current office. Most damaging of all have been the details: €1,000-a-night hotel costs in Paris; a €250 water taxi in Venice; and a €472 bill for a limousine to transfer him between two terminals at Heathrow.
And in the latest tranche of expenses, the most politically damaging items related to two official parliamentary trips taken by O’Donoghue to Paris over the past two years. Both of the trips happened to coincide with the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe in Longchamp and the trips were quickly identified by political opponents as colouring devices to allow him indulge his passion for horseracing.
And the evidence is that a fair number of O’Donoghue’s official engagements abroad in the past have dovetailed with prominent racing festivals, although they did touch on his functions as minister. It was these details that lit the political fuse as much as the totality of spending borne by the taxpayer.
But up until this weekend, the political reaction from the Opposition, at the highest levels at least, has been muted. But following the latest series of disclosures by O’Donoghue on Friday, both parties suddenly upped the ante on Sunday. Eamon Gilmore issued a carefully worded statement calling for a meeting of all party leaders to discuss the controversy. He said the issue now had the “potential to cause serious damage to the office of the Ceann Comhairle, to the Dáil and to our democratic system”.
Within an hour, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had issued a statement that made three specific demands of O’Donoghue. And for the first time, a party leader publicly stated the Ceann Comhairle would have to consider his position if the concerns were not addressed.
In retrospect, the timing of the statements was not all that surprising – both parties wanted the Lisbon debate to be well and truly concluded before moving on this issue. But they have transformed the situation. For the first time, there is considerable doubt over the political future of O’Donoghue.
Both parties differed on the way forward. It is unlikely that the Labour suggestion of a meeting of party leaders will take place. Instead, the focus will largely shift to the next meeting of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, scheduled for tomorrow.
The commission, which came into being in January 2004, has responsibility for running the Dáil and the Seanad, where over 800 people are employed as civil servants, other public servants and political staff. Its annual budget for 2009 is €137 million.
It also controls the expenses and allowances of TDs and Senators (it agreed to a 10 per cent reduction earlier this year after much haggling with the Department of Finance, and only after a strong rearguard action was mounted by backbench Fianna Fáil TDs).
Fine Gael wants its three members of the commission to raise the issue of O’Donoghue’s expenses tomorrow and make the following specific demands of the Ceann Comhairle: the reduction of staff numbers in his office; the abolition of the post of special adviser to the Ceann Comhairle (held by former broadcaster Dan Collins); and an agreement to repay money that did not directly relate to him performing the functions of his office.
Kenny specified the latter point yesterday. It included the €13,000 spent on constituency advertising as well as the costs associated with the flights taken by Mrs O’Donoghue, who accompanied him on most of his trips.
O’Donoghue employs 10 staff, including Collins, in his office – this is a much higher complement than his predecessors.
Fianna Fáil made no public comment yesterday on the developing crisis for O’Donoghue other than a general statement of confidence in his performance, made in the chamber by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.
On Sunday night and yesterday, however, according to one well-placed source, moves took place at a senior level in Government to ensure that the situation was dealt with promptly and that a process was put in place before the Dáil resumes this afternoon.
Yesterday, with both the Government and the Ceann Comhairle’s office remaining silent, some TDs were privately saying that they found it hard to see how O’Donoghue could survive.
There was also some doubt about how the process could proceed as a Ceann Comhairle facing calls for his resignation was uncharted waters.
The problems were compounded by the fact that O’Donoghue chairs the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
In the interests of fair procedure, it is likely he will vacate the chair today to allow the Leas-Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin chair the meeting.
O’Donoghue’s statement last night, with his promise to come up with proposals to address the issues raised by party leaders, was being interpreted as a robust signal from him that he has no intention of resigning. The effect of the statement is that it will ease the pressure on him, but only until tomorrow.
Fine Gael last night signalled that it still intends to adopt a tough position and it will require an extraordinary gesture from O’Donoghue to satisfy its demands.
That would involve the somewhat humiliating gesture from him of repaying flights for his wife. Even if he does that, there are no guarantees that there are not further embarrassing revelations down the line.
Harry McGee is a member of the political staff