This afternoon Ivor Callely is supposed to be appearing at another sitting of the Seanad Select Committee of Members Interests investigating his mileage expenses.  However word reached us yesterday via the Marian Finucane Programme that the Senator is in Oslo.  (I got my spade out.)

A little more investigation reveals that Ivor is the Head of the Irish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of Security Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The goal of this body?

The primary task of the 320 member Assembly is to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue, an important aspect of the overall effort to meet the challenges of democracy throughout the OSCE area.

So despite being under investigation, and resigning his party’s whip, Senator Callely went to Oslo to represent the Irish Parliament. Previous to his trip Ivor had been vice-president of the OSCEPA’s General Affairs Committee.  According to to the press release issued at the end of the meeting in Oslo on Saturday, Ivor got himself relected to a position.

This meant that Ivor who last month knew he had done something wrong and resigned his party whip went to this meeting, was nominated and accepted a nomination for a position representing the Irish Parliament and was then elected.

When other politicians resign or lose their party whip they lose seats on committees in Leinster House and indeed have to move offices to general crappier ones away from their party colleagues.

Not Ivor – he’s off to Oslo heading an Oireachtas Delegation and getting elected to governing committees of International Parliamentary bodies.   (The OSCE inspect the conduct of elections throughout Europe, promote democratic institutions and human rights among other roles.)

The Select Committee into Members Interests will meet when Ivor returns on Tuesday.  I think the welcome for the travelling Senator will be more interesting if that was possible!

Update – This morning’s Irish Examiner has a report by Paul O’Brien into Ivor’s time in office in the Department of Health as a Minister of State. Money spent at the minister’s direction – painting and decorating and designing.