O'Dea claiming travel expenses while hitching a lift with TD

Ken Foxe, Public Affairs Correspondent

Willie O'Dea: licence lapsed

FORMER minister Willie O'Dea has been claiming thousands of euro in travel expenses even though he has been hitching a lift with a Fianna Fáil colleague.

O'Dea, who had a personal driver for more than 10 years, discovered on stepping down from cabinet that his driving licence had elapsed because it had been so long since he had to drive himself.

Since his resignation, he has been taking a lift to Dublin with Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins.

However, O'Dea has continued to claim the full amount in his travel and accommodation allowance.

The travel and accommodation allowance under a new expenses system amounts to €33,722 each year, around half of which relates to mileage. The former minister has been categorised as a Level 6 TD, living less than 210 kilometres from the Dáil, and is also entitled to other expenses, which he has chosen to vouch.

In the months of March and April, O'Dea claimed €9,902 – the maximum that is available under the new expenses regime.

O'Dea, who resigned from his post in February, discovered that his licence had lapsed after his personal driver was taken away from him.

He explained to the Limerick Post: "It was 13 years since it was last issued to me... the rule is, if you allow your licence to lapse for more than 10 years, you have to go through the entire procedure again."

The article said that Niall Collins had been acting as an "unofficial chauffeur" on trips to Dublin with Collins quipping: "He has been
keeping an eye on how I drive."

It is not the first time O'Dea has managed to shoot himself in the foot when speaking to local newspapers.

A spokesman for Willie O'Dea said: "He has come up with Niall Collins quite a few times but more often than not he comes up with his own car, driven by a family member."

June 20, 2010

Comments

#1 Michael Walsh commented, on June 20, 2010 at 7:20 p.m.:

Who authorises these mileage claims? Unless there is appropriate cross checking of these claims and knowing the moral standards of Irish politicians (and FF in particular) then the fraud will continue.

#2 Jaker commented, on June 21, 2010 at 2:26 a.m.:

He should now resign his Dail seat; for to keep it he is unfit. Or the least he should be made pay back double the amount of over-paid expenses to him, back to the State. If this was England he'd be out on his head; there'd be no excuse, because one wouldn't be heard. So Willie do the former or latter. But mostly...go & resign.

#3 allun Tinney commented, on June 21, 2010 at 8:32 a.m.:

how can we the irish people ,get out of the mess we are in when ,when the people that is supposed to help us are putting us down and milking the very soul out of our country ,,i feel that mr o dea is not on his own ,SHAME ON THEM ALL ...

#4 Ciaran commented, on June 21, 2010 at 1:04 p.m.:

Willie O'Dea's lapsed driving licence draws attention to an aspect of ministerial privilege in Ireland that never seems to have been highlighted: the fact that Ministers have access to their official cars and drivers 24/7. In the UK, except in the case of the Prime Minister and others considered to be under threat, Ministers only have use of their official cars for official duties and must look out for themselves on weekends and when on purely private business. Indeed, no fewer than three senior Labour ministers (Harriet Harman, Ed Balls & Liam Byrne) have been prosecuted in recent years for driving offences while using their private cars. What chance of that happening in Ireland? Go figure!

#5 Seano commented, on June 22, 2010 at 7:12 p.m.:

There's the rub, Ciaran. They need Garda drivers or they won't be able to break the speed limit.

#6 Charlie commented, on June 26, 2010 at 11:48 p.m.:

A disgrace. UNFIT TO SERVE.

#7 Naoise M commented, on June 27, 2010 at 11:51 a.m.:

Get over it Ireland - we voted these bloodsuckers in to office, and not just once. Like lambs we have accepted all of the scandals and corruption exposed over the past five years - parasitical politicians, incompetent regulators, deluded banks, civil servants (on their strike days shopping up north) and now unions with their tax payer sponsored slush fund.
You'd expect Mountjoy to be bursting at the seams at this stage, or at the very least, people to be on the streets. But no, we just lie down and let them trample all over us.

#8 Eamon commented, on June 27, 2010 at 12:21 p.m.:

F F are a toxic greed and power-driven entity. That includes their TD's, Senators and Councillors. I suppose what else could you expect from a party which had CJ at the helm, and only Bertie can answer why he, being the second most senior politition in the country at a time, had no bank account. Jesus Wept

#9 Kathryn commented, on June 27, 2010 at 6:53 p.m.:

The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because he could not find 10 good men. I wonder what he would do if he came down to earth in Dail Eireann or the Seanad.

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