Donohoe faces up to ‘more expense issues’
Cowen says FG minister should not be ‘hounded out of office’
PASCHAL Donohoe is expected to make a public statement in the coming days over another issue relating to his election expenses.
This is believed to be separate to the issue that has already got him in trouble that related to free postering services (a political donation) for the 2016 general election.
A value of almost €1,100 was subsequently put on this service and Mr Donohoe belatedly amended official records.
This latest concern he has uncovered is to do with the 2020 election.
The Public Expenditure Minister is preparing to face the opposition again next Tuesday over so-called Postergate.
But it is understood that Mr Donohoe will be keen to outline his position before then as some new information has come to his attention.
A senior Fine Gael source the Irish Mirror talked to last night said that Mr Donohoe “is keeping his cards close to his chest” on what the latest development is.
But RTE was reporting that it understands the issue is not as serious as the ones from 2016 that he highlighted in the Dail during a statement on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen said Mr Donohoe should not be “hounded out of office” as he called for a mechanism to allow for political punishments such as suspension or loss of pay.
The opposition has called on Minister Donohoe to provide further information about his failure to declare expenses incurred during the 2016 General Election campaign.
Mr Donohoe confirmed that Designer Group CEO Michael Stone paid six individuals to hang up and take down posters for the Fine Gael TD. The €917 labour costs associated with this work were not declared by the minister. The use of a van, estimated at €140, was also not disclosed.
Although he appeared in front of the Dail on Tuesday to make a statement, the opposition criticised the fact he did not take statements.
Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty said that when former Agriculture Minister Cowen refused to answer Dail questions about an alleged drink driving offence in July 2020, he was sacked by Micheal Martin.
The Irish Mirror contacted Mr Stone twice this week, once in relation to his appointment to the Land Development Agency board and once in relation to payments of €8.7million paid by the state to his companies over a six-year period.
An email from Designer Group yesterday said: “Michael Stone has no comment to make.”