I gave up weekend in name of Ireland, says golf-row senator
THE leader of the Seanad denied last night that the Upper House had been closed for business because he was playing golf in Turkey.
Fianna Fail Senator Donie Cassidy was on a four-day all-expenses paid trip staying in a five-star hotel to play golf with parliamentarians from all around the world to mark the 90th anniversary of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
He insisted: "I gave up my whole bloody weekend in the name of Ireland."
But Mr Cassidy, who returned from Turkey yesterday, said the trip wasn't the reason why he decided not to have the Seanad sitting alongside the Dail this week.
"That's a lie and completely untrue. I take the running of the Seanad very seriously. My track record has proved second to none. We sit three days a week the same as the Dail," he said.
The others on the trip, which was fully paid for by the Turkish authorities, are understood to be Fine Gael Carlow-Kilkenny TD Phil Hogan and independent Galway West TD Noel Grealish, as well as a senior staff member in Leinster House.
They were put up in the five-star Sueno Hotels Golf Belek resort in the popular coastal resort of Antalya.
Mr Cassidy confirmed that he and the rest of the group took part in the official programme which included "meetings and an inter-parliamentary golf tournament which took place on Sunday". He said the trip was to mark the historic occasion for the people of Turkey.
The Turkish Embassy in Dublin said it had been "honoured" to have the politicians attend the anniversary ceremony along with more than 200 other parliamentarians from around the world. It also confirmed that all of the politicians could have brought their spouses if they wished -- and that the cost would also have been covered by the Turkish taxpayer.
Yesterday, Mr Cassidy said Fine Gael's chief whip, Senator Maurice Cummins, was to blame for the Seanad not sitting.
"Every senator knew we weren't sitting this week. Then out of the blue last Tuesday, the Fine Gael party decided they wanted to sit next week. I said there's no problem sitting next week if you give me the pairs. He (Cummins) said 'I can't give you the pairs'," he said.
Under pairing arrangements, senators who are missing due to illness or official business are given an exemption -- by being "paired" with other opposing senators who agree not to vote.
But last night Mr Cummins said he had offered to provide up to four such "pairs" -- but could not agree to the 10 pairs being demanded by Mr Cassidy.
"We have 15 members in the Seanad and to ask for such a number was ludicrous -- it was only a way of trying to put the blame on Fine Gael," he said.
Mr Cummins said Fine Gael would have to consider withdrawing all pairing agreements due to Mr Cassidy's comments. "He's walking himself into trouble," he added.
- Michael Brennan
Irish Independent
