Timely measures in Leinster House
That was one politician’s take on the fact that TDs and senators now have to “clock in” at Leinster House to claim their travel allowance.
Under reforms of the expenses system which took effect from yesterday, a myriad of allowances previously available to TDs and senators have been lumped into two payments.
The first payment, the Travel and Accommodation Allowance, will cover the costs of travel within the constituency, travel to Leinster House, and overnight stays.
The allowance has been set at €12,000 a year for TDs in Dublin, rising to €37,850 for deputies living 360km or more from the Dáil.
Senators will be paid a smaller amount as they are not expected to undertake constituency travel. The allowance has been set at €7,000 for Dublin-based senators up to €32,850 for those 360km or more from the Seanad.
To qualify for full payment, TDs and senators will have to demonstrate they attended the Dáil or Seanad on at least 120 out of each 150 sitting days – 80% of the time.
Where attendance is below the required 120 days, politicians will have to repay 1% of the allowance for each day they miss.
In other words, if a Dublin-based TD attended only on 119 days, he or she would be docked 1% of €12,000, or €120. If he or she attended only on 118 days, 2% – or €240 – would be forfeited.
To verify their attendance, TDs and senators have to use a special fob which they swipe at electronic readers placed throughout Leinster House. They are obliged to do so only once each day – meaning they don’t have to “clock out”.
Those who do not wish to use the fob can instead sign a book of attendance.
The second payment which TDs and senators will receive is known as the Public Representation Allowance, will cover expenses related to constituency offices, phones, leaflets and similar.
Under this, TDs will receive €15,000 a year without having to produce receipts. Alternatively, they can claim up to €25,700 with receipts.
Senators will receive €9,250 a year unvouched, or up to €15,000 with receipts.
The clocking-in system was welcomed by Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh yesterday.
“Anything that brings greater transparency to politics is very much welcome,” Mr McHugh said. “Obviously, the vast majority of TDs are here when they’re supposed to be here anyway, but this system will copper-fasten that in the eyes of the public.
“In the times we’re in, when there’s low confidence in the political system, to bring more transparency to it is welcome.”
