Building firm 'paid for painting work on Callely home'
Junior Transport Minister Ivor Callely is coming under further fire today amid allegations that one of Ireland's largest building firms paid for painting work on his home in Dublin.
John Paul Construction has confirmed that it hired a painter to undertake work on Mr Callely's home in Clontarf in the early 1990s.
The minister was chairman of the Eastern Health Board at the time and John Paul Construction was carrying out refurbishment of the board's headquarters.
Mr Callely has said he simply forgot to pay the bill for the work and there was nothing improper about the transaction.
He said the owner of John Paul Construction was an acquaintance who offered to help him out when another firm of decorators let him down at short notice.
However, Fine Gael is vowing to raise the matter in the Dáil today given t he recent controversies surrounding the embattled junior minister.
A number of Mr Callely's staff have resigned or sought transfers in recent months, apparently because he is difficult to work for.
The minister has been widely criticised for offering a car as a personal gift to one of these staff members if he changed his mind about his resignation.
