FG’s Seanad savings claims in doubt

Fine Gael’s claims that the abolition of the Seanad will save €20m per year were cast in serious doubt last night after the Houses of the Oireachtas wrote to the Referendum Commission warning that the €20m figure related to costs and “may not fully translate into savings”.

The letter states that if the Referendum Commission intends publishing details of the €20m figure on its website, it “strongly advises” that it “include a strong caveat stating the figure provided are costs and may not translate fully into savings, should Seanad Éireann be abolished”.

The €20m savings claim has been a central plank in the Fine Gael push for a yes vote on Oct 4 and is prominently displayed on posters and leaflets distributed all over the country.