A local Independent TD has branded Dail arguments over election expenses as pure 'theatre'.
Roscommon/Galway Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice believes the parties involved in the election expenses debate need to step back and let SIPO do its job.
Deputy Fitzmaurice has argued for the Standards in Public Office Commission to be let investigate the issue and for the Dail to return to normal business.
The issue follows Pascal Donohue's failure to declare expenses relating to his 2016 and 2020 General Election and Sinn Fein's failure to declare expenses from the 2016 election campaign.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show today, the independent deputy says the debate shows the need for SIPO to be granted further powers:
''There has been alot of Shenanigans in the Dail in the last two weeks. At the end of the day there is a lot of theatre going up there at the moment. There's a vying at the moment for who's going to be the next government to be quite frank about it. It's whatever I can hit you on the puss with it and what you can hit me back with. I steadied myself very well, because I'm not going to be listening to the general stuff that's going on and the hype that goes on about this. At the end of the day SIPO is going to sort this. Yes SIPO needs more powers and in my opinion, it will get those powers.''
