14 questions FF have yet to answer on Dooley/Collins voting scandal – Heydon

Fine Gael’s Parliamentary Party Chairman, Martin Heydon, has called for Fianna Fáil to urgently bring clarity to the voting scandal caused by the behaviour of Deputies Niall Collins and Timmy Dooley.

Deputy Heydon said: “Voting is the most basic element of democracy – anything that undermines that threatens the basis of public trust in our parliamentary system.

“Fine Gael has highlighted a series of questions that needed an immediate answer from Fianna Fáil. Thus far, every intervention in this scandal by Fianna Fáil has thrown up more questions, rather than providing answers.

“In my view, it is very important that the following questions are answered before the Dáil reconvenes on Tuesday.”

1. When did Deputy Dooley realise Deputy Collins voted for him?
2. Why did Deputy Dooley and Deputy Collins not give their explanation to journalists when queried about it on Friday night?
3. Did Deputy Dooley’s phone call last for the duration of the voting block?
4. If not, why did Deputy Dooley not return to the Chamber for the votes?
5. Why did Deputy Collins take Barry Cowen’s assigned seat (beside Timmy Dooley’s) and not his own assigned seat if he was not instructed to vote for Timmy Dooley?
6. After voting for Timmy Dooley in six votes for more than 35 minutes, why did Deputy Collins not vote for TD on the last two votes?
7. How often does Deputy Collins vote for TDs who are not present in the Chamber?
8. How often does Deputy Dooley allow other TDs to vote for him?
9. Has Deputy Dooley asked other TDs to vote for him in marginal votes?
10. Does Deputy Dooley need to correct the record for other votes in the past
11. Have Deputy Dooley and Deputy Collins been reprimanded for this kind of behaviour before?
12. On the Dáil video, there is clear communication between Deputy Dooley and Deputy Collins before Deputy Dooley walked out of the chamber. What was said between the two FF frontbench TDs?
13. On the same video, Willie O’Dea can be seen talking to Deputy Collins before Timmy Dooley approached them. Can Deputy O’Dea shed any light on the matter?
14. Is Micheál Martin confident that this practice isn’t widespread in his Party?