HIGGINS KEEPS SCHTUM ON GIFTS

OUTGOING President Michael D Higgins has refused to say if any of his unaudited €317,000 presidential allowance was spent on personal gifts or wardrobe items.

Mr Higgins insists the unaudited allowance was properly spent – but won’t release statements detailing this expenditure until after the election.

Last week, when the allowance was revealed at the PAC, The Irish Mail on Sunday asked Mr Higgins if it had funded salaries or topups for advisers.

Since then Mr Higgins has angrily denied that advisers’ salaries were paid from the fund – and refuses to reveal if it was used to purchase gifts or wardrobe items.

He has also not fully explained how the salary of adviser Kevin McCarthy was initially put in place, and accounted for.

Spokesman for the Presidency Hans Zomer, told the MoS: ‘I have nothing to add at this stage.’