01/02/2011

Seanad To Appeal Callely's Victory

The Seanad Committee is to appeal a high court ruling in favour of Senator Ivor Callely over his suspension from the house over €81,000 in expenses claims.

Mr Callely, successfully challenged his 20-day suspension suspension in the High Court from the Seanad last year, and was awarded almost €17,000 for loss of earnings yesterday and was also awarded costs.

The High Court found his right to fair procedures and natural justice had been breached after he was suspended by the Seanad committee on members' interests over travelling claims worth around €81,000.

Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill found the committee had breached fair procedures in failing to afford the Senator a reasonable opportunity to defend himself on a charge of breach of political ethics.

Senator Callely said he was delighted with the result and that it "clearly vindicated" his position. He said it was a great decision and "we should be all happy".

In a statement released after his successful overturning of the ruling, the Senator said his wife and family had suffered greatly from having been placed in the glare of media publicity with attendant adverse, unfair and defamatory comments from some sections of the media.

"Senator Callely, on behalf of himself, his wife and family, wishes to express his heartfelt thanks to his many friends and supporters who have given him tremendous support and encouragement at a time when he was under sustained attack," the statement read.

(DW)

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Callely Court Date Set For Next Week
The next hearing of Ivor Callely's case against the Seanad Committee over his expenses claims has been scheduled for next Tuesday. Senator Callely took the proceedings after being suspended from the Seanad by the committee for 20 days over a number of allegedly fraudulent expense claims.
24 August 2010
Callely Given 'More Time To Respond'
Senator Ivor Callely has been granted an extra two weeks to respond to complaints over allegedly fraudulent expenses claims.
23 August 2010
Committee To Decide Over Callely Case
The Seanad Committee on Members' Interests is expected to announce their decision on how to proceed with the expense fraud accusations against Senator Ivor Callely. So far, the senator has paid back almost €3,000 to Leinster House for the mobile telephony receipts between 2002 and 2007 that were found to have been dated after the company's closure.
08 September 2010
Callely To Seek Damages In Court
Senator Ivor Callely is to seek damages along from the High Court over his expulsion from the Fianna Fail party over his allegedly misleading expenses claims.