A KERRY senator has been selected to replace the former Fianna Fáil senator Ivor Callely on a delegation to monitor the midterm Congress elections in the US, it was confirmed yesterday.
Fianna Fáil Senator Ned O'Sullivan was nominated to replace Mr Callely by the Government chief whip John Cu r ran .
Mr Callely was informed last June he was no longer part of the Irish delegation to the parliamentary assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, precluding him from taking part in any of the organisation’s engagements overseas. This was at the time the controversy over his travel expenses arose.
Mr Callely had been head of the delegation from the Houses of the Oireachtas. He resigned from Fianna Fáil last month after a party disciplinary committee found him guilty of “conduct unbecoming” following an investigation into his mobile phone expenses claims.
Earlier this month a High Court bid by Mr Callely to quash a finding that he misrepresented his place of residence for the purposes of claiming expenses was adjourned until October.
Mr O’Sullivan, a former teacher and mayor of Kerry, as well as a former member of the Fianna Fáil national executive, was elected to the Seanad on the Labour panel in 2007.