TDs and Senators swear statements to facilitate expenses claims

Nearly 40 TDs and Senators have sworn a statement before a peace commissioner or commissioner of oaths to say they were present in the Dáil or Seanad during last year’s initial Covid-19 lockdown in order to receive their expenses.

Normally politicians use a fobbing-in system to record their attendance but the requirement to sign in was suspended from the middle of March until the end of June after the Covid-19 pandemic hit Ireland.

An Oireachtas spokeswoman said the fobbing-in system remained operational during that period so any member could technically have fobbed in at Leinster House.

“It was the requirement which was suspended not the system,” she said.

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TDs and Senators were told last summer they could swear a statement before a peace commissioner or commissioner of oaths to say they were present in the Dáil or Seanad during that period in order to receive their expenses, if they had not used the fobbing system.

108 days

Members of the Oireachtas needed to have attended the Dáil for at least 108 days last year or the Seanad for at least 91 days to receive their full travel and accommodation allowance. Those who were present for fewer days are docked 1 per cent for each day they fall short.

According to information released to The Irish Times under Freedom of Information legislation, 39 TDs and Senators have provided such sworn statements to Oireachtas authorities.

This includes Fianna Fáil TDs Niall Collins, Seán Haughey, Marc MacSharry, Eamón Ó Cúiv and Barry Cowen; and Fine Gael Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton.

Sinn Féin TDs on the list include Reada Cronin, Martin Kenny, Maurice Quinlivan, Patricia Ryan, Mark Ward, Denise Mitchell, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, John Brady, Kathleen Funchion and Pa Daly.

Other TDs who provided such information to the Oireachtas include Green Party TDs Francis Noel Duffy, Marc Ó Cathasaigh, Neasa Hourigan and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan.

Three independent TDs also swore such statements – Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick, Wexford TD Verona Murphy and Donegal TD Thomas Pringle.

Allowance rates

Sixteen Senators are also listed as having provided statements including Independents Frances Black, Michael McDowell, Lynn Ruane and Sharon Keogan; Fine Gael’s Paddy Burke, Micheál Carrigy, Joe O’Reilly and Martin Conway; Fianna Fáil’s Paul Daly, Niall Blaney, Diarmuid Wilson, Aidan Davitt, Denis O’Donovan and Fiona O’Loughlin; and Green Party representatives Pippa Hackett and Pauline O’Reilly.

Travel and accommodation allowance rates are based on the distance from the politician’s normal place of residence to Leinster House by the shortest practicable route.

They are worth €9,000 annually to a Dublin TD and up to €34,065 for those living more than 360km away. Dublin-based Senators may receive €5,250 while Senators living more than 360km away may receive up to €29,565.

The Ceann Comhairle can avail of an annual overnight allowance of up to €14,715.

Despite signing the statement in order to receive the full expenses, some TDs or Senators may still be docked money as they may still not meet the required 108 days of attendance.