Oireachtas members face external audit on expenses

TDs and senators face an external audit of their expense claims after the Oireachtas hired an outside firm to trawl through travel and other costs submitted by members.

Consumer representatives rounded on TDs yesterday after it emerged members had clocked in for expenses in recent months but failed to participate during a number of votes in the Dáil.

The Consumers Association of Ireland called for expense payments that are footed by taxpayers to be partially linked to the number of votes they participated in.

Chairman Michael Kilcoyne also called for a system to force TDs to attend Dáil votes to represent constituent interests.

Figures that emerged yesterday show that 20% of TDs who used the new signing-in system missed one-fifth or more of votes from March 9, the first day of the new Dáil, and the end of May.

A total of 24 votes were held during the period.

Among the worst offenders were Independent TDs Michael Healy-Rae and Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan.

While Mr Healy-Rae signed in for every day possible in the period, he only voted seven times.

Fellow Kerry South Independent Tom Fleming only voted six times on the 20 occasions he signed in.

Mr Flanagan missed eight votes while clocked in.

A number of Fianna Fáil TDs including John McGuinness, Willie O’Dea, Seamus Kirk and Robert Troy, also had poor records when it came to the number of votes they participated in compared to the times clocked in.

Deputies electronically fob in at positions in Leinster House to claim travel and overnight expenses.

Benefits can range from €12,000 to €37,850 a year, depending on where a TD calls home.

The expense claims are in addition to an annual salary of €92,000 as well as thousands of euro in the operation of constituency clinics.

Meanwhile, accountancy firm Mazars has been hired to carry out an external trawl of expenses and costs submitted by members.

The audit is examining claims to the end of last year. TDs elected in February will escape the audit.

It will focus on members who made higher levels of expense claims during the period which are covered by receipts for mobile phones and hotel room hire.