Leinster House had to chase up a debt of almost €31,000 from a retired politician or their estate, part of more than €100,000 owed in overpayments at the end of 2025.
Figures from the Oireachtas show former TDs and senators, or their estates, were on the hook for almost €55,000 paid out in error.
At the close of last year there were eight outstanding cases involving ex-members, with an average of about €6,800 owed.
A further €29,000 was being recovered from political staff, retired political staff or from their estates in cases where they had died.
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The average amount owed in those was much smaller, at about €1,000 per case.
Civil servants in the employment of the Oireachtas were also being pursued over €16,400 in overpayments at the end of 2025, according to information released under freedom-of-information legislation.
The bulk of the €100,128 overall debt involved just 10 cases.
In one case involving a former TD or senator, or their estate, €30,868 was owed, more than three times the next-highest debt.
There were another four cases in which at least €6,000 was owed, with the highest of those overpayments listed as €9,525.
The Oireachtas figures showed a sharp rise in the amount of money being recovered over the past three years.
In 2023, €59,120 in overpayments was returned to the State while last year the figure was more than double at €126,306.
The amount outstanding at the end of the year also fell, though not quite as significantly.
The total owed at the end of 2023 was €130,624, falling to €98,144 in 2024 before increasing slightly to €100,128 last year.
In an information note, the Houses of the Oireachtas Service said no overpayments were made to sitting TDs or senators between 2023 and 2025.
The note said: “In respect of all overpayments outstanding at the end of 2025 ... they were either fully recouped in 2026, repayments are under way or the service is engaging with the individual/estate of the individual to put a recoupment plan in place.”
