SENATOR RÓNÁN Mullen has lodged a formal complaint to the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Pat Moylan, about his name being included in a statement with three other Senators who are being investigated for alleged expenses irregularities.
The Independent Senator said yesterday that he was appalled to see his name appear in a statement issued by the Seanad Committee on Members’ Interests on Monday night.
He said that the committee had effectively lumped him in and made him one of a “gang of four” being investigated for expenses improprieties. He said the complaint against him was “vexatious” and related solely to comments he made and not any expenses.
The statement said the complaints had been received against four Senators. However, only three of the complaints related to alleged inappropriate claims for expenses. They relate to Ivor Callely’s mobile phone expenses, as well as complaints against Anne Ormonde and Larry Butler that they were based in Dublin but claiming travel expenses from other counties.
The complaint against Mr Mullen was made by the People Before Profit Alliance after he said that an unnamed colleague had advised him to claim expenses from his native Galway rather than from his Dublin address. Mr Mullen has claimed expenses only from his Dublin address since being elected as a university Senator in 2007.
Mr Mullen said that it was unfortunate that the committee issued no clarification about the nature of the complaint against him.
“I’m not saying it was calculated. It was certainly careless. I have written to Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Pat Moylan. I have asked him for a meeting. I have also asked him to clarify the nature of the complaint against me and to make clear it has nothing to do with the allegations around expenses,” he said.
Martin O’Sullivan of People Before Profit yesterday rejected Mr Mullen’s claim that its complaint was vexatious.
“We are not in the habit of making vexatious complaints. The complaint against Senator Mullen goes to the heart of a very important issue in Irish political culture, that of covering up for people who commit ,” he said.
Separately, Fianna Fáil said yesterday it was continuing to withhold the names of the five members of its national executive on an internal committee investigating Mr Callely’s expenses. But it has named Colm Ó hOisín SC as the independent chairman, who will conduct an inquiry into the new expenses allegations against Mr Callely.
Mr Callely has accepted that he should not have submitted receipts in 2007 from a defunct company backing expenses claims for mobile telephone equipment, totalling almost €3,000, allegedly purchased by him between 2002 and 2007.
In his complaint to the Seanad committee yesterday, Mr Mullen asked that it deal with the complaint against himself separately from the others, on the basis that they are unrelated.
“I do not want to be lumped in as one of a ‘gang of four’ in the next few weeks whom are under investigation for expenses.
“The issue would be dealt with in advance of the more substantive claims in relation to expenses.”
The Independent Senator added that he was surprised the committee had not disposed of the claim at its meeting on Monday. He said he wanted it dealt with before August 23rd, the date by which the Senators must respond to the complaints.
“They were in charge of sufficient facts to establish that there were not sufficient grounds for a complaint and that really it was vexatious.”
An Oireachtas spokesman said that there were no plans to hold a committee meeting before August 23rd.
The committee members are Mr Moylan, Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald, Fianna Fáil’s Camillus Glynn and Denis O’Donovan, Alex White of Labour, Independent Senator Joe O’Toole and Dan Boyle of the Green Party. Mr Boyle has excused himself from the deliberations because of public comments he has made.