Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has been asked to explain a second expenses claim, this time relating to a month in which he spent 22 days on holiday.
In August 2011, Mr Quinn signed off on a claim for 2,800 kilometres worth around E800 despite the fact his official diary shows that he was working for only nine days that month.
That works out at an average of 311 kilometres every day, the equivalent of a round-trip to Waterford on each working day, about four hours driving time.
His diary makes apparent less than 1,000 kilometres of the total that was claimed for, including two trips to Maynooth and a trip to Clifden.
Here is the detailed story I wrote about this expense claim.
Also published here are Minister Quinn’s expense claims for the period between March and the end of August 2011, and those of his colleague in the Department of Education Ciaran Cannon over a similar period.
Ruairi Quinn’s official diary for August 2011, which lists him as having been on holiday from August 6 to August 28 – apart from a single day – can also be examined.
Here are the claims:
July diary:
August diary:
Great work by Ken Foxe and the Mail, and thanks to Gavin for sharing. But as Ken says, for this to be taken further, given the Minister is not responding to what look like perfectly legitimate questions about the use of public funds, then someone needs to make a complaint to the SIPO. Or possibly even to the Garda Siochana. The Minister’s expense claims may be perfectly in order and there may be reasons for what seems like high mileage, but unless you can get the Minister to answer the questions, this issue just hangs. And the Minister seems unwilling to answer your questions.
Is there any reason Ken hasn’t made a complaint?
Has Rory been studying maths at the ivor Calelly School of Expenses.?
A complaint has been made; see:-
http://tinyurl.com/836nh9w
and http://tinyurl.com/7wrbtl3
The inkjet affair should not allow the very high expenses claims from Minister Quinn to escape full and proper scrutiny