John O'Donoghue (politician)
Encyclopedia
John O'Donoghue is a former Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Kerry South constituency from 1987 to 2011. He is a former Ceann Comhairle
(chairman) of Dáil Éireann
, the lower house of the Oireachtas
. He resigned as Ceann Comhairle on 13 October 2009 due to controversy about his expense claims. He previously served as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (2002–2007) and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (1997–2002).
in 1956. He was educated locally at Cahersiveen CBS and later attended University College Cork (UCC) where he studied law. He graduated from UCC in 1976 with a BCL
(Hons) and in 1977 with a LLB
(Hons). O'Donoghue later attended the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland from where he graduated as a solicitor in 1978. Once qualified he practised as a solicitor in his home town of Cahersiveen before entering political life.
O'Donoghue is married to Kate Ann Murphy and they have two sons and one daughter. His father-in-law, Michael Pat Murphy
, was a Labour Party
TD for Cork South West from 1951
until 1981
.
candidate at the 1981 general election
, however, in spite of polling over 3,700 he failed to be elected. O'Donoghue contested both the February and November general elections in 1982 but, although he increased his vote, he still failed to be elected. Building on his electoral profile O'Donoghue was elected to Kerry County Council
in the 1985 local elections. Both his mother and his father had served on the Council before him. He served on that authority until 1997 and was elected chairman in 1990.
O'Donoghue was finally elected to the Dáil on his fourth attempt at the 1987 general election
. A supporter of the party leader, Charles Haughey
, he remained on the backbenches until 1991 when he became Minister of State at the Department of Finance following Albert Reynolds
's failed attempt to oust Haughey as Taoiseach
. In this capacity O'Donoghue was in charge of the Office of Public Works
. He returned to the backbenches again when Reynolds finally became leader of Fianna Fáil and Taoiseach in February 1992. Two years later Fianna Fáil were back in opposition and Bertie Ahern
was the new party leader. O'Donoghue was appointed to the front bench
as spokesperson on Justice. In this capacity he constantly criticised the incumbent Minister for Justice, Nora Owen
of Fine Gael
. He demanded 'zero tolerance' for criminals, and campaigned for harsher sentencing and increased prison places.
following the 1997 general election
O'Donoghue joined the cabinet as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In this capacity, he was heavily involved in the British-Irish negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
In 2002 Fianna Fáil
again failed to obtain an overall majority and formed a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats
. O'Donoghue, in what was seen as a demotion, was appointed Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. He was involved in the finalisation of details for the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road
. In mid-2004 Ahern announced that he would be reshuffling his cabinet in September, prompting speculation over O'Donoghue's cabinet position, and a possible move to another portfolio. O'Donoghue, however, retained his post.
by 90 votes to 75. O'Donoghue was nominated for the position by Taoiseach
, Bertie Ahern
. Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte
said that for the first time in almost 20 years there would be an alternative and nominated Ruairi Quinn
. Fine Gael
leader Enda Kenny
seconded Quinn's nomination but the nomination was not put to a vote. On the evening of Tuesday, the 6th of October, 2009, O'Donoghue announced his resignation from the post of Ceann Comhairle, effective from the following week.
Foxe submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests that resulted in embarrassing forensic details of the former minister's spending habits.
During a two year tenure as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, O'Donoghue's Minsterial expenses amounted to €126,000. The minister claimed expense claims that involved foreign trips for himself and both his wife and personal secretary. Sinn Féin raised the spending spree with the Dáil, while a Fine Gael spokesperson branded the expense claims as "indulgent".
In May 2006, O'Donoghue used the government jet for a six-day journey at the cost of €32,450. O'Donoghue, accompanied by his wife, attended the Cannes Film Festival
. He returned from Cannes to Kerry to attend the opening of new offices for the Fexco company in Killorglin
. He then travelled from Kerry to Cardiff
for the Heineken Cup
final which Munster won and travelled back to Cannes by government jet. He went from Cannes to London for a Ryder Cup
promotional event, before returning to Dublin on 24 May 2006.
Expenses for car-hire services provided by a London-based firm to O'Donoghue during four visits to Britain in 2006 and 2007 came to a total of €21,289.57, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. Documents released to The Irish Times
showed that three of the four visits were connected with O'Donoghue's attendance at race meetings in Cheltenham
and Ascot
.
In 2006, when O'Donoghue visited Manchester on official business during St Patrick's week, prior to attending Cheltenham, car-hire payments made to Terry Gallagher, of Cartel Limousines Ltd, came to €7,591.96 for “airport pick-ups”. This covered the period 11–13 March. In June 2007, O'Donoghue attended the Royal Ascot race meeting over a four day period and Gallagher's firm was paid a total of €3,582.22, according to the official receipts.
On 21 August 2009, the Irish Independent
reported that in January 2006 O'Donoghue spent €472 on a limousine to commute between terminals in London Heathrow Airport
despite a free airport service between the terminals existing for passengers. Fine Gael Environment spokesman Phil Hogan
further criticised O'Donoghue's expense claims, labelling them as unjustifiable and inexcusable.
On 31 August 2009 O'Donoghue's expense claim controversy appeared on the front page of the Irish Independent, revealing how O'Donoghue received €330,000 in allowances and expenses in addition to his basic TD salary. It was further revealed that O'Donoghue flew to and from County Kerry
at the expense of the taxpayer 73 times, despite having a full-time car driver to his service.
In August 2009 government minister Dick Roche
called upon O'Donoghue to explain his expense claims. These claims were echoed by opposition TDs including Fine Gael
politician Leo Varadkar
who called for a "full and Public" explanation, requesting an investigation as to whether O'Donoghue's expense claims were standard under Fianna Fáil
leadership during his tenure as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. In August 2009 Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae
requested a public statement from O' Donoghue, reiterating the need for O'Donoghue to defend himself, claiming that "the people want answers".
In a letter sent to all members of the Dáil
on 11 September 2009, O'Donoghue defended his record as a Minister and as Ceann Comhairle. He said he had stayed silent so far on the issue in order to protect the impartiality of his current position. He acknowledged that some of the costs incurred appeared high, and regretted that they occurred. He also pointed out that a minister would not be informed of the details of such expenditure and he said he would work to ensure such costs are reduced to the minimum in the future.
Despite the extravagance of the reported expense claims and his delay in addressing the controversy, O'Donoghue maintained that he acted in "good faith". O'Donoghue refused to comment on newspaper articles that revealed indulgent expenditure. In response to O'Donoghue's letter, Fine Gael
leader Enda Kenny
called on O'Donoghue to issue a public apology to the Irish public for the expenses incurred, claiming that the O'Donoghue's response "did not go far enough". Fianna Fáil TD Mattie McGrath
speaking on Today FM
compared O'Donoghue's actions to that of a 'latter day prince'.
In an interview on the RTÉ News: Six One
on the 14 September 2009 Róisín Shortall
of the Labour Party
claimed that O'Donoghue had underestimated the public's anger, of what she labelled, his "junketeering". She questioned the nature of O'Donoghue's statement that failed to address the public, maintaining that it "would be very very" difficult for him to hold his position of Ceann Comhairle.
On 3 October 2009, some hours after the information had been provided to an Irish newspaper under an FOI request, O'Donoghue's expenses record was released by his office. €45,000 had been spent on internal flights, while a reported €5,000 was claimed for VIP lounge access. Further spending included presents for dignitaries and flights for his wife. Coincidentally, two of O'Dononghues' trips to Paris took place at the same time as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
. On 4 October 2009 the full extent of O'Donoghue's trips to Paris were revealed by several national newspapers. It was reported that, in 2007, Mr O Donoghue spent two days at the races, while his meeting with the French National Assembly only took place while travelling between his hotel and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Further spending which was branded as lavish included €1,543 spend on transport over a three day period and hotel costs in excess of €500 per night. It was widely reported that, in total, O'Donoghue's trip cost €6,126.42, which was later claimed as 'expenses'. Additionally the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed that O'Donoghue had hired a travel consultant to arrange flights to and from Paris
. While O' Donoghue could justify expense claims as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, as the trips were in the national interest, as Ceann Comhairle
he had no such responsibilities.
Sinn Féin
were the first to call for O'Donoughue to resign, claiming his position was untenable given "a continued waste of public money" since he took the job. In a debate in the Dáil on 6 October 2009, Labour Party
leader Eamon Gilmore
also said that John O'Donoughue's position as Ceann Comharile was "untenable", and that the Labour Party would table a motion of no confidence
in him. After the Dáil debate, the Fine Gael
leader Enda Kenny
issued a statement calling on O'Donoughue to "resign forthwith" in the interest of the independence of the office of the Ceann Comhairle.
who ran as an Independent
. In his concession speech O'Donoghue remarked "I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you that I stand here, on my evening of defeat, in a hall – this magnificent sports complex – which I helped to build.” He will receive a lump sum of €237,000 and an annual pension of €128,000.
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,...
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...
politician. He was a 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...
(TD) for the Kerry South constituency from 1987 to 2011. He is a former Ceann Comhairle
Ceann Comhairle
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
(chairman) of 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...
, the lower house of the 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...
. He resigned as Ceann Comhairle on 13 October 2009 due to controversy about his expense claims. He previously served as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (2002–2007) and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (1997–2002).
Early and private life
John O'Donoghue was born in Cahersiveen, County KerryCounty Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
in 1956. He was educated locally at Cahersiveen CBS and later attended University College Cork (UCC) where he studied law. He graduated from UCC in 1976 with a BCL
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
(Hons) and in 1977 with a LLB
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(Hons). O'Donoghue later attended the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland from where he graduated as a solicitor in 1978. Once qualified he practised as a solicitor in his home town of Cahersiveen before entering political life.
O'Donoghue is married to Kate Ann Murphy and they have two sons and one daughter. His father-in-law, Michael Pat Murphy
Michael Murphy (Irish politician)
Michael Pat Murphy was an Irish Labour Party politician. A publican before entering politics, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Cork West constituency at the 1951 general election. He was re-elected at each subsequent election until he was retired at the...
, was a Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
TD for Cork South West from 1951
Irish general election, 1951
The Irish general election of 1951 was held on 30 May 1951. The newly elected members of the 14th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 13 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
until 1981
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
.
Early political career
O'Donoghue first became involved in politics in the early 1980s. He first ran for the Dáil as a Fianna FáilFianna 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...
candidate at the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
, however, in spite of polling over 3,700 he failed to be elected. O'Donoghue contested both the February and November general elections in 1982 but, although he increased his vote, he still failed to be elected. Building on his electoral profile O'Donoghue was elected to Kerry County Council
Kerry County Council
Kerry County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Kerry in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of Mayor...
in the 1985 local elections. Both his mother and his father had served on the Council before him. He served on that authority until 1997 and was elected chairman in 1990.
O'Donoghue was finally elected to the Dáil on his fourth attempt 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...
. A supporter of the party leader, Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
, he remained on the backbenches until 1991 when he became Minister of State at the Department of Finance following Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...
's failed attempt to oust Haughey as 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...
. In this capacity O'Donoghue was in charge of the Office of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
. He returned to the backbenches again when Reynolds finally became leader of Fianna Fáil and Taoiseach in February 1992. Two years later Fianna Fáil were back in opposition and 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....
was the new party leader. O'Donoghue was appointed to the front bench
Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)
Fine Gael is the largest political party in the Oireachtas. The Fine Gael leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. -Fine Gael Front Bench:...
as spokesperson on Justice. In this capacity he constantly criticised the incumbent Minister for Justice, Nora Owen
Nora Owen
Nora Owen , is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. She was a Teachta Dála for Dublin North from 1981 to 1987 and from 1989 to 2002. She also served as Minister for Justice from 1994 to 1997.-Early life:...
of Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
. He demanded 'zero tolerance' for criminals, and campaigned for harsher sentencing and increased prison places.
Cabinet career: 1997–2007
When Fianna Fáil returned to power with the Progressive DemocratsProgressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
following 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....
O'Donoghue joined the cabinet as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In this capacity, he was heavily involved in the British-Irish negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
In 2002 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...
again failed to obtain an overall majority and formed a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
. O'Donoghue, in what was seen as a demotion, was appointed Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. He was involved in the finalisation of details for the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
. In mid-2004 Ahern announced that he would be reshuffling his cabinet in September, prompting speculation over O'Donoghue's cabinet position, and a possible move to another portfolio. O'Donoghue, however, retained his post.
Ceann Comhairle
Following the 2007 general election, he was elected Ceann ComhairleCeann Comhairle
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
by 90 votes to 75. O'Donoghue was nominated for the position by 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
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....
. Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte
Pat Rabbitte
Pat Rabbitte is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources since March 2011...
said that for the first time in almost 20 years there would be an alternative and nominated Ruairi Quinn
Ruairi Quinn
Ruairi Quinn is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Education and Skills since March 2011. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency. He was Minister for Finance from 1994 to 1997, and leader of the Labour Party from 1997 to 2002.-Early...
. Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
leader Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
seconded Quinn's nomination but the nomination was not put to a vote. On the evening of Tuesday, the 6th of October, 2009, O'Donoghue announced his resignation from the post of Ceann Comhairle, effective from the following week.
Expenses claim controversy
Following an investigation in 2009 by Ken Foxe, Public Affairs Correspondent with the Sunday Tribune, a controversy erupted over the amount and nature of O'Donoghue's spending and expenses.Foxe submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests that resulted in embarrassing forensic details of the former minister's spending habits.
During a two year tenure as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, O'Donoghue's Minsterial expenses amounted to €126,000. The minister claimed expense claims that involved foreign trips for himself and both his wife and personal secretary. Sinn Féin raised the spending spree with the Dáil, while a Fine Gael spokesperson branded the expense claims as "indulgent".
In May 2006, O'Donoghue used the government jet for a six-day journey at the cost of €32,450. O'Donoghue, accompanied by his wife, attended the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. He returned from Cannes to Kerry to attend the opening of new offices for the Fexco company in Killorglin
Killorglin
Killorglin is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located on the river Laune, which has a rowing club and a new boathouse. The population of Killorglin is 4,150 although this expands considerably during Puck Fair due to visitors and returning emigrants.Killorglin is a major activity centre...
. He then travelled from Kerry to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
for the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
final which Munster won and travelled back to Cannes by government jet. He went from Cannes to London for a Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
promotional event, before returning to Dublin on 24 May 2006.
Expenses for car-hire services provided by a London-based firm to O'Donoghue during four visits to Britain in 2006 and 2007 came to a total of €21,289.57, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. Documents released to 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...
showed that three of the four visits were connected with O'Donoghue's attendance at race meetings in Cheltenham
Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...
and Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
.
In 2006, when O'Donoghue visited Manchester on official business during St Patrick's week, prior to attending Cheltenham, car-hire payments made to Terry Gallagher, of Cartel Limousines Ltd, came to €7,591.96 for “airport pick-ups”. This covered the period 11–13 March. In June 2007, O'Donoghue attended the Royal Ascot race meeting over a four day period and Gallagher's firm was paid a total of €3,582.22, according to the official receipts.
On 21 August 2009, 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 in January 2006 O'Donoghue spent €472 on a limousine to commute between terminals in London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
despite a free airport service between the terminals existing for passengers. Fine Gael Environment spokesman Phil Hogan
Phil Hogan
Phil Hogan is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since 1989, and is the current Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.-Early and private life:...
further criticised O'Donoghue's expense claims, labelling them as unjustifiable and inexcusable.
On 31 August 2009 O'Donoghue's expense claim controversy appeared on the front page of the Irish Independent, revealing how O'Donoghue received €330,000 in allowances and expenses in addition to his basic TD salary. It was further revealed that O'Donoghue flew to and from County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
at the expense of the taxpayer 73 times, despite having a full-time car driver to his service.
In August 2009 government minister Dick Roche
Dick Roche
Dick Roche is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency, and also served in Seanad Éireann from 1992 to 1997.-Early and private life:...
called upon O'Donoghue to explain his expense claims. These claims were echoed by opposition TDs including Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007. He is currently the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, being appointed on 9 March 2011....
who called for a "full and Public" explanation, requesting an investigation as to whether O'Donoghue's expense claims were standard under 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...
leadership during his tenure as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. In August 2009 Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae
Jackie Healy-Rae
Jackie Healy-Rae is a former Irish politician who served as an Independent Teachta Dála for the Kerry South constituency from 1997 to 2011.-Early and private life:...
requested a public statement from O' Donoghue, reiterating the need for O'Donoghue to defend himself, claiming that "the people want answers".
In a letter sent to all members of the Dáil
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...
on 11 September 2009, O'Donoghue defended his record as a Minister and as Ceann Comhairle. He said he had stayed silent so far on the issue in order to protect the impartiality of his current position. He acknowledged that some of the costs incurred appeared high, and regretted that they occurred. He also pointed out that a minister would not be informed of the details of such expenditure and he said he would work to ensure such costs are reduced to the minimum in the future.
Despite the extravagance of the reported expense claims and his delay in addressing the controversy, O'Donoghue maintained that he acted in "good faith". O'Donoghue refused to comment on newspaper articles that revealed indulgent expenditure. In response to O'Donoghue's letter, Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
leader Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
called on O'Donoghue to issue a public apology to the Irish public for the expenses incurred, claiming that the O'Donoghue's response "did not go far enough". Fianna Fáil TD Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath is an Irish politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Tipperary South constituency. He was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD at the 2007 general election.-Political career:...
speaking on Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
compared O'Donoghue's actions to that of a 'latter day prince'.
In an interview on the RTÉ News: Six One
RTÉ News: Six One
RTÉ News: Six One is the evening news programme broadcast each night on Irish television channel RTÉ One...
on the 14 September 2009 Róisín Shortall
Róisín Shortall
Róisín Shortall is an Irish Labour Party politician. She has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North West constituency since November 1992, and is the current Minister of State for Primary Care....
of the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
claimed that O'Donoghue had underestimated the public's anger, of what she labelled, his "junketeering". She questioned the nature of O'Donoghue's statement that failed to address the public, maintaining that it "would be very very" difficult for him to hold his position of Ceann Comhairle.
On 3 October 2009, some hours after the information had been provided to an Irish newspaper under an FOI request, O'Donoghue's expenses record was released by his office. €45,000 had been spent on internal flights, while a reported €5,000 was claimed for VIP lounge access. Further spending included presents for dignitaries and flights for his wife. Coincidentally, two of O'Dononghues' trips to Paris took place at the same time as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
. On 4 October 2009 the full extent of O'Donoghue's trips to Paris were revealed by several national newspapers. It was reported that, in 2007, Mr O Donoghue spent two days at the races, while his meeting with the French National Assembly only took place while travelling between his hotel and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Further spending which was branded as lavish included €1,543 spend on transport over a three day period and hotel costs in excess of €500 per night. It was widely reported that, in total, O'Donoghue's trip cost €6,126.42, which was later claimed as 'expenses'. Additionally the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed that O'Donoghue had hired a travel consultant to arrange flights to and from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. While O' Donoghue could justify expense claims as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, as the trips were in the national interest, as Ceann Comhairle
Ceann Comhairle
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
he had no such responsibilities.
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
were the first to call for O'Donoughue to resign, claiming his position was untenable given "a continued waste of public money" since he took the job. In a debate in the Dáil on 6 October 2009, Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
leader Eamon Gilmore
Eamon Gilmore
Eamon Gilmore is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has been the Leader of the Labour Party since September 2007, and a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency since 1989, first with the Workers' Party of Ireland, and...
also said that John O'Donoughue's position as Ceann Comharile was "untenable", and that the Labour Party would table a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in him. After the Dáil debate, the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
leader Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
issued a statement calling on O'Donoughue to "resign forthwith" in the interest of the independence of the office of the Ceann Comhairle.
Resignation
O'Donoghue resigned his position of Ceann Comhairle on 13 October 2009. In his resignation statement, O'Donoghue defended his record in the controversy surrounding his foreign travel expenses, and said he was a scapegoat for an expenses regime that had fallen into disrepute. He stated that his overseas travel spending was not markedly different from other Ministers and he also alleged that Eamon Gilmore’s call for his resignation in the Dáil on 6 October 2009 had denied him the right to defend his position.2011 general election
O'Donoghue lost his seat in the 2011 Irish general election to former Fianna Fáil councillor Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Irish politician)
Tom Fleming is an independent politician in Ireland. He was elected at the 2011 general election to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Kerry South....
who ran as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. In his concession speech O'Donoghue remarked "I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you that I stand here, on my evening of defeat, in a hall – this magnificent sports complex – which I helped to build.” He will receive a lump sum of €237,000 and an annual pension of €128,000.