Mayo TD admits to voting in party colleague's name

MAYO Fianna Fàil TD Lisa Chambers has tonight admitted to voting in the name of her constituency colleague Deputy Dara Calleary in a Dàil vote last week.

Deputy Lisa Chambers told the Irish Times it happened inadvertently when she sat in the wrong seat.

She told the newspaper: "I sat in Dara Calleary's seat, which is beside my seat.

"I pressed the button once in error on the first vote.

"Nobody asked me to do this and when I realised I moved to my own seat.

"This vote was lost by a large number so I did not inform the teller.

"I have informed the Ceann Comhairle earlier today of this error.

"I genuinely believed the error was insignificant."

She later confirmed that she also voted from her own seat after realising she made the mistake.

Her admission comes as a controversy is raging over six votes being recorded by Fianna Fàil TD Timmy Dooley despite him not being in attendance for them.

He and Deputy Niall Collins, who admitted to voting on his behalf, have been forced to step down temporarily from the party's front bench while an investigation is taking place.

Deputy Chambers said she explained her error to party leader Michèal Martin and she does not think she will be asked to step down from the Fianna Fàil front bench.

In a statement, Deputy Calleary said he never or would never ask another TD to vote on his behalf.