in total O'Donoghue's trip cost €6,126.42, which was later claimed as 'expenses'. Sinn Féin were the first to call for O'Donoghue to resign, claiming his position was untenable given "a continued waste of public money" since he took the job. In a debate in the Dáil on 6 October 2009, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore also said that John O'Donoghue's position as Ceann Comharile was "untenable", and that the Labour Party would table a motion of no confidence in him. After the Dáil debate, the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny issued a statement calling on O'Donoghue to "resign forthwith" in the interest of the independence of the office of the Ceann Comhairle. Resignation O'Donoghue resigned his position of Ceann Comhairle on 13 October 2009. In his resignation statement, O'Donoghue defended his record in the controversy surrounding his foreign travel expenses, and said he was a scapegoat for an expenses regime that had fallen into disrepute. He stated that his overseas travel spending was not markedly different from other Ministers and he also alleged that Eamon Gilmore's call for his resignation in the Dáil on 6 October 2009 had denied him the right to defend his position. 2011 general election and aftermath O'Donoghue lost his seat in the 2011 general election, to former Fianna Fáil councillor Tom Fleming who ran as an Independent. In his concession speech O'Donoghue remarked "I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you that I stand here, on my evening of defeat, in a hall – this magnificent sports complex – which I helped to build". He received a lump sum of €237,000 and an annual pension of €128,000. Since losing office, he repeatedly signalled his intention to contest the next Irish general election. However, internal party figures dismissed this, with one describing him as "political toast as far as the party is concerned". In July 2014, he qualified for the bar, and now practices as a barrister. See also Families in the Oireachtas References 1956 births Living people Alumni of University College Cork Fianna Fáil TDs Local councillors in County Kerry Members of the 25th Dáil Members of the 26th Dáil Members of the 27th Dáil Members of the 28th Dáil Members of the 29th Dáil Members of the 30th Dáil Ministers for Justice (Ireland) Ministers of State of the 26th Dáil Presiding officers of Dáil Éireann People from Cahersiveen