Relief on politicians’ expenses ‘unfair’

NATIONAL politicians should not be entitled to tax relief on lucrative expenses of which the public cannot avail.

And non-Dublin ministers who run second homes in the capital should not be allowed claim open-ended relief.

According the Commission on Taxation the unvouched expenses system for office-holders with second homes should be capped. The tax-free status applied to the expenses clocked up by TDs and senators was an unfair perk. “In the interests of equity, it is desirable that allowances paid to members of the Oireachtas be treated in the same way under the tax code as allowances paid to employees generally.”