New Dáil attendance figures a 'snapshot'

THE ATTENDANCE records of TDs in the Dáil for the first two weeks of a new clocking-in system are only a “snapshot” of the new operation, an Oireachtas spokesman has said.

His comments follow the release of information showing 17 of 136 TDs listed had full attendance records at Leinster House for the 10 working days between March 1st when the system was introduced and March 12th.

All TDs were marked present or given an “attendance reconciliation day” to ease them into the new regulations. Fourteen of the 17 TDs were from Dublin or surrounding counties along with Niall Collins (FF, Limerick West), Noel O’Flynn (FF, Cork North-Central) and John McGuinness (FF, Carlow-Kilkenny).

The electronic clocking-in system is linked to expenses and Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State are excluded as their expenses are paid by their own departments and not the Houses of the Oireachtas.

In the first two weeks of March the Dáil was in session for just six days and the vast majority of TDs attended on those dates.

The Oireachtas spokesman said the new system was introduced by the Department of Finance and the Houses of the Oireachtas in order to bring “greater transparency and accountability” and to bring the Oireachtas in line “with modern work practices”. The information “is only a snapshot of the new measures and the fuller and more comprehensive picture can only be gained after the 150 days that the system is based on”.

The figures were released in a Freedom of Information request to the Sunday Times.

Former minister for defence Willie O’Dea did not attend any of the days, which were in the immediate aftermath of his resignation, while former minister Dr Jim McDaid attended twice.