Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

payback time

TDs have given back €140,000 in allowances - but who gave €3.63?

And who returned a whopping €6.89?

Global Irish Diaspora Policies Jimmy Deenihan Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

A TOTAL OF 56 TDs have combined to return a total of €140,00 to the exchequer.

The repayment comes from unused allowances for 2014, available to all TDs.

While Taoiseach Enda Kenny returned €9,215 of his €16,000 allowance, he was not the most frugal member of the government.

The 2014 statement shows that former education minister Ruairí Quinn gave back €15,510 of his €22,280 allowance for the year.

Not everyone, however, returned as much. Diaspora Minister Jimmy Deenihan returned just €3.63 to the taxpayer, while Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe gave €6.89. Kildare TD Bernard Durkan returned €16.20.

All TDs are entitled to claim a Public Representative Allowance (PRA) of €1,695 a month. This is designed to help run a constituency office and cover bills like a mobile phone.

Non ministers can also claim between €750 and €2,838 a month for travel and accommodation, depending on how far away from the Dáil you live.

That means that Fine Gael’s Noel Harrington, who lives in Castletownbere in Cork, was able to claim €34,000 last year. His total claim of €54,415 put him top of the overall claimants list.

Only one TD, Labour’s Eamonn Maloney declined to take expenses, as he has done every year since his election in 2011.

In total, TDs claimed €6.2 million in allowances in 2014.

Read: Mary Hanafin: The Battle of Blackrock is well over, now it’s the War of Dún Laoghaire

Read: Joan Burton made a new friend today

Your Voice
Readers Comments
71
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.