Irish minister Coveney: European Parliament corruption probe is "damaging"

Belgium's decision to charge four people over allegedly receiving money and gifts from a Gulf state to influence decisions in the European Parliament is "damaging" for the institution, Irish Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney said on Monday.

"It is damaging. We need to get to the bottom of it," Coveney told reporters in Brussels.

"This is a scandal that we need to expose the truth around so we can ensure it doesn't happen again," he added.