SENATOR DAVID NORRIS has added his voice to calls for Ivor Callely to resign his Seanad seat.

“It’s impossible to see how Senator Callely could continue. When the seanad returns, we’ll be looking at situations where we’re cutting back, and it would be completely inappropriate for someone who is receiving €80,000 in travel expenses,” Norris told Morning Ireland.

“It would be inappropriate, rubbing it in the noses of the Irish people,” he commented, adding: ”This is a tragedy brought upon himself, by Ivor Callely.”

The senator was responding to claims made in the Irish Mail on Sunday that Callely had submitted expenses to the Oireachtas from a company that went bankrupt over a decade ago.

The Mayor of Galway, Fianna Fáil’s Michael Crowe said Callely’s actions were “pure gombeenism and bringing humiliation to Irish politics”.

The comments follow Fianna Fáil’s Mary O’Rourke, John McGuinness and the Green’s Senator Dan Boyle who, over the weekend said Senator Callely had questions to answer.

Brian Cowen has yet to comment on the matter.