Taoiseach defends Donohoe as ‘man of integrity’ amid election expenses controversy

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he believes the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe, describing him as “a man of integrity” and “someone we can trust”, amid controversy over discrepancies in his 2016 general election expenses.

Mr Varadkar was speaking as Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Cabinet was “mired in scandal” in the Dáil on Wednesday.

Minister Donohoe is due to address the Dáil at 5pm to explain how he omitted to include in his expenses statement a sum of €1,057, which related to the use of a van and payment of six workers who erected election posters in his Dublin Central constituency seven years ago.

Mr Donohoe admitted at the weekend that he had not included those expenses in his statement to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo). He has since amended the statement to include them. The Minister has also recused himself from the electoral and ethical policy areas within his department until the Sipo process has concluded, which could take a significant period of time.

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The Minister said a supporter of his, businessman Michael Stone, paid six workers a sum of €917 for erecting the posters in advance of polling day in 2016. He said the use of the van was donated by Mr Stone’s company, Designer Group, which came to €140. Both payments, he said, were under the allowable limits.

[ Opposition join forces to press Paschal Donohoe on election expenses ]

Speaking during the first Leaders’ Questions of 2023, Ms McDonald said Mr Varadkar’s Cabinet was “mired in scandal” and the two TDs at the “centre of the scandal”, Mr Donohoe and former junior minister Damien English, had reportedly received a round of applause “for their efforts” at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.

The Dublin Central TD said Mr English had been forced to resign last week after lying on a planning application while Mr Donohoe “can’t escape the fact that he broke the rules” by receiving a donation.

Mr Varadkar said he believed Mr Donohoe and that he was a “man of integrity and a man of the highest standards”.

“I believe he is somebody who we can trust and somebody who I believe,” he said.

“I think deep down everybody in this House knows that, that Paschal is a man of integrity and somebody who tells the truth.”

[ Donohoe’s election expenses mistakes could have implications for status and career ]

The Taosieach said the matter would now be looked at by Sipo and asked if Sinn Féin would make a statement on a donation it received by former councillor Jonathan Dowdall.

Mr Varadkar also said the Government would strengthen the Ethics Act.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said what had emerged over the past week in relation to the conduct of “not one but two Fine Gael ministers” was “deeply concerning”.

Ms Bacik said it raised fundamental questions about standards in public life as well as trust in public office and asked what action Fine Gael was taking against Mr English.

The Taoiseach said what Mr English had done was not acceptable, adding “that is why he resigned”.