Update: The Government Chief Whip says that Ivor Callely was removed from his position as leader of the Oireachtas delegation to the OSCE in June and so won’t be going to the US in November. Since Ivor went to the OSCE meeting in July it’s seems that nobody enforced that ‘decision’.

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Original post from 17.47

News breaking this evening on RTE Radio 1’s DriveTime regarding Ivor Callelly’s intention to travel to the USA to observe the Mid Term Elections as part of an OSCE delegation.

You may remember that Senator Callelly heads the Irish Parliamentary delegation to the OSCE. He has a role on an OSCE committee. The OSCE observes elections for fairness and this autumn will be observinig elections in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Azerbaijan. As Senator Callely is not named as heading any of the delegations one can only assume that he has applied to participate although the Senator says he has been invited.

Members of the Assembly should indicate their interest in participating in one or several missions by contacting the International Secretariat in Copenhagen and completing relevant registrations forms as soon as possible.

Local parliaments have to pay the costs of their delgations – this means that the Oireachtas would have to approve Ivor’s travel costs. Despite losing his party’s whip, being suspended from the Seanad, and indeed leaving Fianna Fáil, Senator Callely remains head of the Irish delegation to the OSCE according to the Oireachtas website.