Senator Rónán Mullen lodges formal complaint to Select Committee about vague and damaging statement

Senator Rónán Mullen has written to the Chairman of the Seanad Select Committee on Members’ Interests, Senator Pat Moylan, to express his “extreme concern” about the unspecific nature of the statement released by the Select Committee last evening, and at the media coverage that this has generated.

 

Senator Mullen has requested that the Select Committee deal with all matters relating to him “both separately and speedily, and in any event several days prior to its meeting scheduled for the 23rd August”. He has also requested that any communication by the Select Committee in relation to his case be kept “entirely separate from any utterances which the Select Committee may decide to make in relation to any other matter.”

 

Last night’s Committee statement said that the “Committee has commenced investigations into separate complaints made against Senators Larry Butler, Ivor Callely, Ronan Mullen and Ann Ormonde.” Senator Mullen’s complaint is that the Select Committee failed to specify that the complaint made against him did not allege any impropriety on his part in the claiming of expenses.

 

“On many news programmes last evening and again this morning, it was reported without further clarification that I was one of four Senators against whom complaints had been made. Some media outlets have carried the story incorrectly, and reported that I am among those against whom complaints have been made about expense claims. This has caused considerable confusion and distress to myself and to others, and some people have contacted me to express their concern and disappointment.

 

“Given the justified public anger about the abuse of the expenses system, the Committee ought to have made clear in its statement that the complaint against myself does not relate to any alleged impropriety on my part in relation to expenses. Contrary to what Senator Joe O’Toole said on RTE this morning, I do not believe that the ‘world at large’ was ‘well aware of the nature of the complaint against the various people mentioned’. I also believe it was naïve to imply, as Senator O’Toole did, that because the Committee’s statement did not mention ‘expenses’, people would not have formed the impression that I was under investigation about my own expenses.”

 

Senator Mullen has requested an urgent meeting with the Seanad Committee and also that they issue a clarification today explaining the precise nature of the complaint against him. “I do not believe this to be clear in the public mind,” he said.

 

“I have received this morning a letter from the Select Committee and I will provide a written response as requested. However, I find it incredible that the Committee was unable to dispose of the matter at yesterday’s meeting as it was in possession of sufficient facts to establish that the complaint against me lacked grounds and was vexatious in nature.

 

“In the light of last night’s statement, I am now very concerned that my name should not continue to be lumped in with the names of Senators against whom allegations have been made about expenses. There is a risk of a continuing innuendo to the effect that I am under such an investigation.”