Healy-Rae telephone controversy rumbles on
Kerry South TD Michael Healy Rae is facing continuing pressure to repay the cost to the taxpayer of premium rate phone calls.
Last night Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett called for the money - around €2,500 - to be repaid, saying the use of a Leinster House phone in 2007 to vote for Deputy Healy Rae on a reality TV show was an outrageous abuse of facilities.
It was reported yesterday that over 3,600 telephone votes cast for Deputy Healy Rae in RTÉ reality series 'Celebrities Go Wild' came from a phone in Leinster House.
It subsequently emerged that the Houses of the Oireachtas wrote to then Deputy Jackie Healy Rae in 2007 seeking a response on the use of phone privileges to vote for his son, but he never responded.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has also called for an investigation into the scandal.
