€17.6m to be spent on TDs' wages this year, says report

MORE THAN €17.6 million will be spent on TDs’ pay this year, with almost €10 million set aside for their expenses, according to Oireachtas spending budgets for 2010.

About €17.7 million is allocated to pay the wages of the 308 secretarial staff of 166 TDs, the Houses of the Oireachtas’ strategic plan 2010-2012 shows.

Almost €3 million will cover the expenses of 60 Senators, whose combined salaries amount to more than €4.4 million, while more than €2.5 million will be used for the salaries of their 55 secretarial staff.

The document shows the Oireachtas translation unit, with a staff of 18, has been allocated more than €1.1 million to cover wages and €284,000 for so-called “non-pay” resources. An Oireachtas spokesman said this covered stationary, utilities and other items.

Fifty members of staff are attached to Oireachtas committees. More than €3 million has been allocated to cover their wages, with €1.3 million for “non-pay” items.

The spokesman said the overall budget for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission had been reduced significantly. “In order to reduce costs, the budget for the Houses of Oireachtas Commission for the three year period 2010-2012 has been significantly reduced,” he said.

“Through efficiencies, operational savings, reducing allowances and cutting back on events the budget for the current three-year period is €33 million less than the previous allocation for the period 2007-2009.

“The budget allocation for the three-year period to end 2012 covered in the plan is €360 million. This expenditure consists of salaries, wages and expenses of Houses of Oireachtas employees, salaries and expenses of TDs and Senators and other standard operational costs associated with running the Houses of Oireachtas.”

The Oireachtas library and research unit has a staff of 36, paid a combined total of almost €2 million.

The broadcasting, information and catering section, with 49 staff, is paid a combined €2.1 million.

The finance and payroll section has a staff of 24 who are paid a combined total of €1.1 million.