Health Minister Simon Harris calls on Dara Murphy to return expenses money

The Minister for Health has broken ranks and directly challenged Mr Murphy to give the taxpayer something back

Simon Harris has called for money-mad politician Dara Murphy to pay back expenses earned while he was double-jobbing.

The Minister for Health has broken ranks with his ministerial colleagues and directly challenged Mr Murphy to give the taxpayer something back.

He said: “I think he should.”

Mr Harris also said that just because Mr Murphy has quit the Dáil, doesn’t mean he can’t still be audited on his unusual expenses claims by the Dáil’s accountants.

Mr Murphy announced last week that he has formally resigned his seat in the Dáil, along with the lucrative salary and expenses package worth over €150,000 a year - including at least €50,000 a year in expenses based on his representing the people of Cork.

But this was only the tip of the iceberg, as he was also earning in the region of €10,000 a month in another job in Brussels.

Since October 2017, Mr Murphy had been coining it with the European People’s Party (an alliance of right-wing European parties of which Fine Gael is a member) as a director of elections.

This meant that he was getting paid for doing two jobs, in two different countries, for the guts of two years, until the European elections finished this summer.

The backbench TD with the Dáil’s worst attendance record on sitting days since 2017 was therefore getting paid more than the Taoiseach or the British Prime Minister during this time.

Mr Harris came out yesterday and told the Irish Mirror that he thinks Mr Murphy should pay back some of the expenses claimed as a TD over the past few years.

He said: “I think he should (pay back expenses), but before you and I decide what that level should be, for someone who is not you or I to have a look at this.

“And while he is no longer a Member of Dáil Eireann, my understanding is that all expenses for any TD are still auditable for up to five years.

“All of us get that every year when we make a declaration, it says you are auditable for up to five years even when you are not a TD any longer.

“So I do know that, for example, if you lost your seat in a general election, you could still be audited on your expenses for the previous years when you were a TD.

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“So there are still functions whereby audits can be carried out and investigations can happen and I’m sure that will take place.”

Mr Harris was also asked about the prospect of an early general election next year if a motion of no confidence is tabled against him as Minister for Health.

He replied enthusiastically, saying that he is “so looking forward” to next year’s election, whenever it comes.