Oireachtas Facing Probe Over Donations

It has emerged that three members of the Oireachtas have been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after failing to disclose documentation on donations to the Standards in Public Office Commission.

TDs, Senators and MEPs are obligated to submit a list of donations they receive to the standards commission every year, however, three have failed to submit and their names have been passed to the DPP.

A commission spokesman said last night: "It is an offence not to supply the documentation so the commission has referred these cases to the Director of Public Prosecutions."

According to reports this morning, the commission contacted ten members when they had not submitted their donations details by the January 31st deadline. Seven then capitulated while the outstanding three have been referred to the DPP.

The three Oireachtas members are yet to be identified, although a Fianna Fáil spokeswoman said queries from the commission “are not routed through headquarters so it’s a matter for each TD individually”.

A spokesman for Fine Gael said the commission dealt directly with individual politicians, who were requested to respond to it with the relevant documentation.

Both the Labour and Green Party have also said the matter is between the politicians and the commission.

(DW/BMcC)