John: 'I am not guilty of any corruption'
The people of South Kerry will be my judge
A defiant John O'Donoghue defends his record as Ceann Comhairle and as a minister in the Dáil on Tuesday.
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A DEFIANT John O'Donoghue used his resignation speech as Ceann Comhairle on Tuesday to deliver a staunch defence of his actions and honour while launching a stinging attack on his political enemies.
The Cahersiveen deputy delivered a robust speech in defence of his record in which he blamed a 'soundbite culture' for forcing his resignation.
Defending his behaviour Deputy O'Donoghue said he had never acted in secret, never committed any offence, and was not guilty of any corruption.
"I am not guilty of any corruption. I never took money or abused my office for my own enrichment. All these costs were paid to service providers. I did not receive a penny from such costs. These are the facts," Deputy O'Donoghue said.
"In the fullness of time, it will become apparent that many matters have been distorted and exaggerated beyond the bounds of fairness. Simple techniques were used to create an ugly, grasping, black caricature of the man I am," he said.
Deputy O'Donoghue highlighted what he claimed were a number of specific inaccuracies among the expenses attributed to him, including the cost of specific hotel rooms and certain limo hire charges and tips.
The majority of Deputy O'Donoghue's ire was aimed at his political opponents who, he said, had denied him a fair hearing and an opportunity to present his case.
"I would have hoped to have been given an opportunity to answer each of the charges in a calm and reasonable forum. I would have hoped that this House could have allowed me a few days to put my side of these events on the record. But patience in aid of fairness gave way, alas, to impatience to surf the political wave of competitive outrage," he said.
"Lest it be said that the failure to give me a chance to defend myself has somehow embittered me, I want to acknowledge that the failure to afford me a right to be fairly heard arises from weakness rather than malice," he said.
Deputy O'Donoghue closed his address with a shot across the bows of his political rivals in South Kerry including Deputy Jackie Healy Rae (Ind) who was not in the Dail to hear his great rival's impassioned speech.
"While I may have been forced out of office by an unfair procedure, only the people of South Kerry have the right to exclude me from political life. They have had a good opportunity to judge me, my standards, my motives and my commitment to this country for almost 23 years. I now look forward to representing the interests of the constituents of South Kerry to the best of my ability," he said.
- SIMON BROUDER sbrouder@kerryman.ie
