The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has been hit with significant penalties after it was found to have carelessly under-declared its tax liabilities for taxies used by staff to commute from work.

The body which operates Leinster House has appeared on the latest list of tax defaulters.

Cheap pints and tales of political intrigue proved to be the recipe for success at the Dáil bar last year as revenues and profits increased.

The economic slump hit home for Guinness drinkers in the country’s best known bar last year, with sales of the black stuff down almost 20%.

Your front page article (Oct 26) deserves some context and explanation.

A senior Leinster House official, Kieran Coughlan, is recommending that an independent body takes over control of setting political allowances.

Expenses and allowances for TDs, senators, and ministers will be scrutinised next week when the heads of the Oireachtas come before the Dáil’s financial watchdog committee.

Three TDs involved in a travel expenses furore over the use of Dáil expenses to attend anti-household charge events, could be forced to pay back the money.

Socialist TD Joe Higgins has revealed he clocked up just over €900 in travel expenses while campaigning against the household charge.

Legal advice is being sought on the use of travel allowances by TD's Joe Higgins and Clare Daly.

THERE were calls for an inquiry into who abused the Leinster House phone facilities to help the son of a TD win a celebrity television show.

A Seanad Committee's finding that Senator Ivor Callely misrepresented his normal place of residence in order to claim expenses was "a political judgment" against the senator by his peers, the High Court heard today.

Senator Ivor Callely's High Court action aimed at quashing a a finding that he misrepresented his normal place of residence in order to claim expenses has been adjourned to October.