Callely faces two inquiries over phone expense claims

Mr Callely is considering a High Court challenge to the 20-day suspension imposed on him for his earlier infringements of the expenses regime.

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HARRY MCGEE, Political Correspondent, and JASON MICHAEL

Two committees investigating Senator Ivor Callely's claim in relation to mobile phone expenses tonight said they would be conducting investigations into the issue.

Both a Seanad committee and a Fianna Fáil committee are separately writing to the senator, seeking a full explanation on the matter.

The two investigations are being held into Mr Callely's claim for almost €3,000 in mobile phone expenses using invoices from a company that went out of business a decade ago.

The Seanad Committee on Members’ Interests met today for more than five hours to consider the latest allegations facing the Clontarf-based senator.

In a statement tonight, the Seanad committee said it would investigate complaints made against Senators Ivor Callely, Larry Butler, Ronan Mullen and Ann Ormonde

The committee said it would seek a detailed statement from the senators, with deadline for receipt of these statements being 10am on August 23rd. The committee will then consider the statements at a meeting scheduled for the same day.

The committee said its investigations are being conducted with due regard to the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001. Senator Dan Boyle will not take any part in this process following public remarks previously made by him regarding Mr Callely.

Separately, a special committee drawn from the national executive of Fianna Fáil convened today for about two hours to begin an investigation into Mr Callely's use of the invoices.

The committee is comprised of five national executive members as well as an independent chairman.

The next meeting of the full national executive is not due to take place until late September but it will be brought forward to consider the sub-committee's report. The report can recommend three options: no action; suspension for a period of time; or full expulsion from the party.

The Seanad committee has already suspended Mr Callely for 20 sitting days of Seanad Éireann following its finding that he was not entitled to claim his west Cork holiday home as his normal residence.

Mr Callely claimed over €80,000 in travel and subsistence expenses from his holiday home after being nominated to the Seanad in 2007.

The latest revelations showed that four separate claims for mobile phone equipment over five years were based on documentation from a mobile phone company that was no longer in operation.

On Saturday, some six days after the new information came to light, Mr Callely released a statement accepting that the telephone company was no longer in existence. He also maintained that he had submitted the claims and the invoices in good faith. Mr Callely has now returned the sums claimed to the Oireachtas.

Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith today said the matter was being examined with the utmost urgency. “Mr Callely has questions to answer and we want those questions answered as rapidly as possible,” he added.

Last week, Mr Callely's membership of the Fianna Fáil party was temporarily suspended on the orders of Taoiseach Brian Cowen pending the outcome of the investigation. Party secretary Sean Dorgan had been unable to contact Mr Callely in advance of the decision and there has been no contact between the Senator and senior party officials since then