Ivor Callely
Encyclopedia
Ivor Callely is a former Irish
politician. He was a member of Seanad Éireann
from 2007 to 2011, having been nominated by the Taoiseach
. He was previously a deputy (Teachta Dála
) for the Fianna Fáil
party in the constituency of Dublin North Central
from 1989 to 2007. Between 2002 and 2005 he served as a Minister of State
. He resigned from the Fianna Fáil party on 24 August 2010 due to an expenses controversy.
, Dublin and was educated locally. He first became involved in politics in 1985 when he was elected to Dublin Corporation
. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1987 general election
but was elected to Dáil Éireann
at the 1989 general election
and held his seat at the three subsequent general elections. In 1991 he became the youngest chairperson of the Eastern Health Board. At the 1997 general election
he received the fifth highest vote in the country. This was followed up at the 1999 local elections when he received the highest vote in the country. Between 1993 and 1995 he served as Assistant Chief Whip
in Fianna Fáil. From 1995 to 1997 he served as Fianna Fáil Policy Co-ordinator.
In 2002 Callely was appointed Minister of State
at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for services for older people. In Bertie Ahern
's cabinet reshuffle of 2004 he became Minister of State at the Department of Transport
where he had special responsibility for certain traffic management issues in Dublin and the major cities, road haulage and the Irish Aviation Authority
.
On 8 December 2005, he resigned his cabinet post after an RTÉ News
report that a building contractor involved in public contracts had painted his house for free in the early 1990s. It was also revealed that Callely had offered to personally buy a new car for one of his civil service advisers, in an attempt to persuade the adviser not to leave their job. Callely's department had an unusually high turnover of staff for some time under his stewardship.
He lost his seat at the 2007 general election and was also unsuccessful at the Seanad elections for the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 2007. He was subsequently appointed by the Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern to the Seanad.
On 4 April 2011, Callely was fined €60 in court fir using a mobile phone while driving.
He did not contest the 2011 general election or the 2011 Seanad election.
received a complaint regarding an advertisement for the Operation Freeflow system which outlined traffic and travel arrangements in Dublin in the pre-Christmas period, and which featured a photograph of Callely, then Minister of State. The complainant was of the view that the Minister's appearance in the advertisement was a direct contravention of section 2.2.3 of the Code of Conduct for Office Holders as outlined above. The Standards Commission wrote to the complainant advising that they did not consider that the inclusion of a photograph of an office holder in an advertisement relating to a matter which encompassed his functions as an office holder was necessarily inappropriate. However, it also considered that the provisions of the code were insufficiently clear so as to distinguish between the appropriate use of a photograph of an office holder as part of a necessary advertising campaign and an inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a general election. The Standards Commission wrote to the Taoiseach and requested that the provisions of section 2.2.3 of the Code of Conduct for office holders be reviewed in order that office holders are provided with clear guidelines as to the circumstances in which public resources can be used in a way which avoids the inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a general election.
. Callely said that following the loss of his Dáil seat in 2007, he took up residence in Cork. After his nomination to the Seanad, Callely informed Oireachtas
officials in December 2007 that his "current principal residence" was Kilcrohane
, Bantry
in County Cork, which is 370 km from Leinster House
.
The Irish Independent
reported that he was still politically active in Dublin, ran a constituency office on the northside of Dublin and attended Fianna Fáil meetings locally. On 1 June 2010, the Taoiseach
Brian Cowen
requested a written explanation from Callely about his expense claims. Speaking in the Seanad on 2 June 2010, Callely insisted that he had fully complied with regulations. He said that he had always made it clear that he had a residence in west Cork, as well as a home in Clontarf
and a constituency office in Dublin North Central. He resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 5 June 2010. He claimed a €140 "overnight" allowance on hundreds of occasions when attending the Seanad — even though he stayed in his Dublin home on the nights in question.
In July 2010, the Oireachtas Select Committee on Members' Interests investigated Callely's travel expenses. It found that he had breached a section of the 2001 Standards in Public Office Act, by misrepresenting his normal place of residence for the purpose of claiming allowances. As a result, he was suspended from the Seanad for 20 days without pay.
On 1 August 2010, the Irish Daily Mail
revealed that in November 2007, Callely claimed €2,907 for mobile phone handsets and car kits purchased from a company called Business Communications Limited between 2002 and 2005. This company had ceased trading in 1994, eight years before Callely's earliest claim. The departments of which he was a minister between 2002 and 2005 paid €33,000 in phone bills for his constituency office, mobile and home phones, including the purchase of new phones.
On 3 August 2010 following the revelations in the Irish Daily Mail, Callely was suspended without prejudice from the Fianna Fáil party pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
On 23 August 2010, The Irish Times
reported that a further complaint against Callely was received by the committee investigating his expenses claims, relating to his alleged failure to declare in his annual Oireachtas statement of interest all his property assets that are not for family use.
He resigned from the Fianna Fáil organisation on 24 August 2010. Senator Dan Boyle
of the Green Party
called on Callely to resign from the Seanad, saying that "the longer he serves as a Senator, the more discredit he brings on the Seanad."
Callely took a legal challenge to the Oireachtas committee that suspended him. It was heard in the High Court in October 2010. Lawyers for Callely told the court that the committee had portrayed him as 'a pariah' who had ripped off the State to the sum of €80,000, and as 'a chancer', 'a rogue', and 'thoroughly despicable'. He sought to overturn his suspension, to declare that the committee erred in law, to halt further investigation against him and also financial damages. Several of his former Fianna Fáil colleagues, including Mary Hanafin
, criticised him for dragging Oireachtas business into the courts.
The High Court ruled in Callely's favour. It found his right to fair procedures and natural justice had been breached. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill issued formal orders quashing the decision of the Committee and its resolution to suspend him. Callely was awarded €17,000 for loss of earnings during his 20-day suspension, as well as being awarded costs. Callely said he was delighted with the result which clearly vindicated his position.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
politician. He was a member of Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
from 2007 to 2011, having been nominated by the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
. He was previously a deputy (Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
) for the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
party in the constituency of Dublin North Central
Dublin North Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin North–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
from 1989 to 2007. Between 2002 and 2005 he served as a Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
. He resigned from the Fianna Fáil party on 24 August 2010 due to an expenses controversy.
Career
Callely was born in ClontarfClontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
, Dublin and was educated locally. He first became involved in politics in 1985 when he was elected to Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
but was elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
and held his seat at the three subsequent general elections. In 1991 he became the youngest chairperson of the Eastern Health Board. At the 1997 general election
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
he received the fifth highest vote in the country. This was followed up at the 1999 local elections when he received the highest vote in the country. Between 1993 and 1995 he served as Assistant Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
in Fianna Fáil. From 1995 to 1997 he served as Fianna Fáil Policy Co-ordinator.
In 2002 Callely was appointed Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for services for older people. In Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
's cabinet reshuffle of 2004 he became Minister of State at the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
where he had special responsibility for certain traffic management issues in Dublin and the major cities, road haulage and the Irish Aviation Authority
Irish Aviation Authority
The Irish Aviation Authority is a commercial semi state company employing approximately 700 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has two main functions; the provision of air traffic management & related services in Irish controlled airspace and the safety regulation of the civil...
.
On 8 December 2005, he resigned his cabinet post after an RTÉ News
RTÉ News
RTÉ News and Current Affairs , is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within the Republic of Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland - with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main...
report that a building contractor involved in public contracts had painted his house for free in the early 1990s. It was also revealed that Callely had offered to personally buy a new car for one of his civil service advisers, in an attempt to persuade the adviser not to leave their job. Callely's department had an unusually high turnover of staff for some time under his stewardship.
He lost his seat at the 2007 general election and was also unsuccessful at the Seanad elections for the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 2007. He was subsequently appointed by the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern to the Seanad.
On 4 April 2011, Callely was fined €60 in court fir using a mobile phone while driving.
He did not contest the 2011 general election or the 2011 Seanad election.
Complaint to Standards Commission
In 2005, the Standards in Public Office CommissionStandards in Public Office Commission
The Standards in Public Office Commission is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Irish Government under the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001...
received a complaint regarding an advertisement for the Operation Freeflow system which outlined traffic and travel arrangements in Dublin in the pre-Christmas period, and which featured a photograph of Callely, then Minister of State. The complainant was of the view that the Minister's appearance in the advertisement was a direct contravention of section 2.2.3 of the Code of Conduct for Office Holders as outlined above. The Standards Commission wrote to the complainant advising that they did not consider that the inclusion of a photograph of an office holder in an advertisement relating to a matter which encompassed his functions as an office holder was necessarily inappropriate. However, it also considered that the provisions of the code were insufficiently clear so as to distinguish between the appropriate use of a photograph of an office holder as part of a necessary advertising campaign and an inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a general election. The Standards Commission wrote to the Taoiseach and requested that the provisions of section 2.2.3 of the Code of Conduct for office holders be reviewed in order that office holders are provided with clear guidelines as to the circumstances in which public resources can be used in a way which avoids the inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a general election.
2010 Expenses controversy
On 30 May 2010, it was revealed under a Freedom of Information Act request, that Callely had claimed expenses totalling €81,015 since 2007 for overnight and travel expenses to a house in County CorkCounty Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Callely said that following the loss of his Dáil seat in 2007, he took up residence in Cork. After his nomination to the Seanad, Callely informed Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
officials in December 2007 that his "current principal residence" was Kilcrohane
Kilcrohane
Kilcrohane is a village in County Cork, Ireland. The last coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula after Durrus and Ahakista, it lies under the 'Shadow of Seefin' - the area's highest mountain and overlooking Dunmanus Bay...
, Bantry
Bantry
Bantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for 30 km to the west...
in County Cork, which is 370 km from Leinster House
Leinster House
Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
.
The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
reported that he was still politically active in Dublin, ran a constituency office on the northside of Dublin and attended Fianna Fáil meetings locally. On 1 June 2010, the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
requested a written explanation from Callely about his expense claims. Speaking in the Seanad on 2 June 2010, Callely insisted that he had fully complied with regulations. He said that he had always made it clear that he had a residence in west Cork, as well as a home in Clontarf
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
and a constituency office in Dublin North Central. He resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 5 June 2010. He claimed a €140 "overnight" allowance on hundreds of occasions when attending the Seanad — even though he stayed in his Dublin home on the nights in question.
In July 2010, the Oireachtas Select Committee on Members' Interests investigated Callely's travel expenses. It found that he had breached a section of the 2001 Standards in Public Office Act, by misrepresenting his normal place of residence for the purpose of claiming allowances. As a result, he was suspended from the Seanad for 20 days without pay.
On 1 August 2010, the Irish Daily Mail
Irish Daily Mail
The Irish Daily Mail is a newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by Associated Newspapers. The paper was launched in February 2006 with a launch strategy that included giving away free copies on the first day of circulation and low pricing subsequently....
revealed that in November 2007, Callely claimed €2,907 for mobile phone handsets and car kits purchased from a company called Business Communications Limited between 2002 and 2005. This company had ceased trading in 1994, eight years before Callely's earliest claim. The departments of which he was a minister between 2002 and 2005 paid €33,000 in phone bills for his constituency office, mobile and home phones, including the purchase of new phones.
On 3 August 2010 following the revelations in the Irish Daily Mail, Callely was suspended without prejudice from the Fianna Fáil party pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
On 23 August 2010, The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
reported that a further complaint against Callely was received by the committee investigating his expenses claims, relating to his alleged failure to declare in his annual Oireachtas statement of interest all his property assets that are not for family use.
He resigned from the Fianna Fáil organisation on 24 August 2010. Senator Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
of the Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
called on Callely to resign from the Seanad, saying that "the longer he serves as a Senator, the more discredit he brings on the Seanad."
Callely took a legal challenge to the Oireachtas committee that suspended him. It was heard in the High Court in October 2010. Lawyers for Callely told the court that the committee had portrayed him as 'a pariah' who had ripped off the State to the sum of €80,000, and as 'a chancer', 'a rogue', and 'thoroughly despicable'. He sought to overturn his suspension, to declare that the committee erred in law, to halt further investigation against him and also financial damages. Several of his former Fianna Fáil colleagues, including Mary Hanafin
Mary Hanafin
Mary Hanafin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was a Teachta Dála for Dún Laoghaire from 1997 to 2011. She served as Government Chief Whip , Minister for Education and Science , Minister for Social and Family Affairs , Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport and Minister for Enterprise,...
, criticised him for dragging Oireachtas business into the courts.
The High Court ruled in Callely's favour. It found his right to fair procedures and natural justice had been breached. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill issued formal orders quashing the decision of the Committee and its resolution to suspend him. Callely was awarded €17,000 for loss of earnings during his 20-day suspension, as well as being awarded costs. Callely said he was delighted with the result which clearly vindicated his position.