Leinster House bans premium rate calls

THE DÁIL watchdog on parliamentary procedures has banned premium rate calls from Leinster House in the wake of the controversy surrounding Kerry South independent TD Michael Healy-Rae.

The Committee on Procedure and Privileges, chaired by Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett, yesterday decided a complete block should be placed on access to premium rate calls from telephones in the complex housing the Dáil and Seanad.

Its decision arose from the disclosure that premium rate calls costing more than €2,600 were made to a voting line for the reality TV game show, Celebrities Go Wild.

Mr Healy-Rae was not a TD at the time, but his father, Jackie Healy-Rae, was.

In a statement, the committee said access to facilities such as telephones was essential for the work of the Dáil and its members, but that it was “equally important to act where it was clear that facilities were being abused”.

It found facilities had been abused in this instance.

The meeting, the first of the new committee, also discussed several phone calls which had been made to Africa which had cost in excess of €100.

However, it was established to the committee’s satisfaction that there was an innocent explanation for this.

A fault in dialling had resulted in calls destined for Ireland being put through to an (unnamed) African country.