Dara Murphy breaks silence on criticism from Fine Gael over expenses
Double-jobbing former Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy has broken his silence on criticism from Fine Gael over claiming expenses in the Dáil while also working in Brussels.
He told the Irish Examiner by text this evening that he would cooperate with any inquiry into his attendance records and expenses and intended to contact Dáil officials about the issue.
The move follows direct criticism from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who said
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In his statement to the Irish Examiner tonight, he said:
“In respect to some reports in today’s media I would like to make the following statement.
“It remains my intention to establish that I have not broken any rules with respect to my attendance or related expenses paid to me during me time as a TD and Vice President and campaign direction the EPP.
“I believe it will be possible to find an Independent person or process to facilitate this.
“Secondly I would like to reiterate and clarify that I have had, from the very beginning of my time in the role of leading the campaign for Europe’s largest political grouping, the full and unqualified support of Fine Gael. I am also happy to provide evidence of this to the agreed appropriate body.
“I will contact the Ceann Comhairle and Clerk of the Dáil to see how best to progress this very early in the new year.”
As reported by the Examiner earlier today, Mr Murphy
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This was on top of his €94,000 salary. He has now quit his Cork North Central seat and started a €150,000 job with the EU.
Oireachtas committees and the ethics watchdog, Sipo, declined to assess Mr Murphy’s expense claims, as he is no longer accountable to those bodies.
In an interview with the same paper, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said the controversy has harmed Fine Gael.
“Dara Murphy has done considerable damage to Fine Gael,” said Mr Creed. “There is nothing that exercises, that annoys the Fine Gael grassroots more than a lapse of standards in Fine Gael.”
“We don’t tend to wash our dirty linen in public, but, let me tell you, there is enormous angst and anger over that issue. It has damaged Fine Gael and it has caused enormous upset within the ranks of Fine Gael membership.”
