Three TDs admit spending €2k to campaign beyond their constituencies

Three politicians who admitted using Oireachtas expenses for work outside of their constituencies estimate they spent around €2,000 altogether campaigning beyond their electoral area.

Oireachtas officials have agreed to meet a number of Dublin TDs next week to discuss how the special travel expenses regime for politicians should be spent.

Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins, party colleague Clare Daly, and People Before Profit’s Joan Collins are awaiting their own legal advice on the expenses rules.

The Oireachtas says the allowance — €1,000 a month for Dublin TDs — could only be claimed for expenses incurred for trips to and from Leinster House and in their constituency.

Officials said TDs may have to pay expenses back if rules are not followed.

Mr Higgins said he travelled to 20 cities and towns outside of Dublin as part of the campaign against the household charge. Funds were spent on B&Bs, petrol, and train fares.

“We respond to invitations outside our constituencies to assist people. We’re national parliamentarians,” he said.

Mr Higgins said he spent €935 campaigning outside of his constituency, which was paid by the allowance.

“If I had travelled 3,900 miles around the country campaigning by ass and cart, I couldn’t have done it any cheaper than that,” he told Newstalk’s Breakfast show.

Ms Collins spent €350 attending fewer than 10 meetings outside of Dublin, Mr Higgins later said.

Ms Daly spent less than €800 attending 20 meetings, he added.

All three TDs said they will repay amounts if it is found they breached the rules.

All three TDs are members of the United Left Alliance and claim they only take the average industrial wage from their pay packets and that the rest of their €92,000 salary goes back into their parties.

The State’s ethics watchdog yesterday confirmed it was investigating how TDs were using their salary to fund party activities and resources.

The Standards in Public Office yesterday confirmed it had written to TDs in recent weeks inquiring about salary amounts given back to their parties.