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.