27/03/2012

Dail To Debate Mahon Fallout

The Dail is set to begin a three debate on the findings of the Mahon Tribunal.

The will debate the fallout of the 15-year inquiry following high profile resignations of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former EU Commissioner Pádraig Flynn from Fianna Fáil.

It also coincides with the start of disciplinary proceedings by Fine Gael against members cited in the tribunal report.

Fine Gael Councillor Anne Devitt, who the report said received “inappropriate payments”, announced last night that she was stepping aside from her party, while it carries out its own internal inquiries into the tribunal's findings.

Also mentioned in the report were TD Olivia Mitchell and Councillor Therese Ridge, who all socialised with the lobbyist Frank Dunlop and the developer Owen O'Callaghan.

Three Fianna Fáil members still face expulsion from that party at Friday's national executive meeting - former TD GV Wright, former senator Don Lydon and former Councillor Finbar Hanrahan.

Yesterday another former councillor - John Hannon - quit the party.

Former Fine Gael Dublin county councillor, Mary Muldoon, has said that she was of the opinion that over 50% of her fellow councillors at the time were taking bribes, dressed up as legal political donations.

Speaking on Raidió na Gaeltachta's Glór Anoir, Muldoon, who had given evidence at the Mahon Tribunal but who, she said, was saying this for the first time publicly, stated that some of her fellow councillors were receiving sums of between IR£500 and IR£2,500 pounds, but were calling them legal political donations.

The debate starts today and will run until Thursday.


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