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John O'Donoghue expenses scandal

The John O'Donoghue expenses scandal saw former Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue pursued by various allegations over his expenses claims in Ireland's Sunday newspapers over several months in 2009. He spent €250,000 in his time as Ceann Comhairle and €550,000 in his time as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism.[1] His wife Kate-Ann also enjoyed many of the expenses.[1] Tabloid newspapers referred to the politician with titles such as "Johnny Cash".[2] The Irish Green Party, junior coalition partners in government, requested a reform of the system following the revelations.[3] The accountant in charge of expenses had also resigned in protest at the system.[4] O'Donoghue was the first Ceann Comhairle to forcefully resign;[5] however, Patrick Hogan resigned the post for health reasons in 1967.[6]

O'Donoghue announced his resignation from the position of Ceann Comhairle on the evening of 6 October 2009, effective as of 13 October 2009. The Irish Independent opined: "Were Louis the XIV around today, the Sun King would likely be envious of the lavish style that John O'Donoghue brought to public office".[7] The Australian noted that the controversy followed just three months after a similar one brought down Michael Martin of the United Kingdom.[8] The Observer blamed his fall on "a keen interest in racing", particularly his trips to Aintree, Cheltenham and the Melbourne Cup.[9] David Sharrock of The Times suggested the government was "close to collapse" and contrasted the expenses with a report that one school in Ireland had requested children to bring their own toilet paper to classes.[5][10]

  1. ^ a b ine Kerr and Senan Molony (3 October 2009). "O'Donoghue claims €250,000 expenses in last two years". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  2. ^ John Waters (9 October 2009). "O'Donoghue falls foul of collective self-loathing". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 October 2009. In the course of these meditations, I no longer think of O'Donoghue by his name, still less as "An Ceann Comhairle", but as "Johnny Cash", a moniker I picked up in one of the redtops. I particularly relish contemplation of those chauffeured trips around Heathrow, and even more the idea of an embassy official being transported by limousine from the centre of London to entertain the Cash family for an hour at the airport.
  3. ^ "Expenses scandal puts focus on Irish govt stability". Reuters. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  4. ^ Alan O'Keeffe (8 October 2009). "Oireachtas accountant resigns in disgust over failure to cut expenses". Evening Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b David Sharrock (8 October 2009). "Irish Government close to collapse as Speaker quits over expenses". The Times. London. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  6. ^ Mary Regan (7 October 2009). "O'Donoghue to quit". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  7. ^ "It's curtains for Ceann Comhairle". Irish Independent. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  8. ^ Peter Wilson (9 October 2009). "Ireland's Speaker John O'Donoghue quits over Melbourne Cup trips". The Australian. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  9. ^ "Trips to the Melbourne Cup, Cheltenham and Aintree led to the downfall of Irish minister John O'Donoghue". The Observer. London. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Pupils asked to provide own toilet paper". RTÉ. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2009.

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