The Dáil’s ethics committee has found that it can’t investigate the attendance of former Fine Gael deputy Dara Murphy because he has already resigned.

It emerged last month that Mr Murphy claimed his full expenses despite being largely absent from the Dáil over the past two years.

Oireachtas figures showed that he only attended 24 out of 70 sitting days in the Dáil between January and September – the lowest number of any TD.

Since taking up a second job with the European People’s Party in 2017 he continued to draw his full Dáil salary of more than €94,000 a year, as well as more than €50,000 worth of annual allowances.

He officially resigned his seat last week – hours after backing the Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy in a confidence vote.

This morning, the Dáil ethics committee considered a complaint from Fianna Fáil whip Michael Moynihan about Mr Murphy’s attendance and expense claims.

However, it found that it cannot investigate as he has already resigned.

The committee was also considering the ‘votegate’ scandal, finding that Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers should be given a warning for voting on behalf of her colleague Dara Calleary.

Deputy Chambers has already apologised to the Dáil, insisting it was an honest mistake.

The committee decided not to take action against Fianna Fáil Deputy Barry Cowen, while a decision on potential sanctions against Niall Collins and Timmy Dooley has been delayed until the New Year.

With reporting from Seán Defoe