73 Leinster House staff overpaid, report reveals

Seventy-three cases of salary overpayments to people working in Leinster House were identified in 2015 with 13 people yet to pay the money back, the latest Houses of the Oireachtas annual report has revealed.

According to the report, published yesterday, last year the Oireachtas Commission identified 73 instances of overpayments totalling €45,567.

Some €37,894 was recovered in 2015, but 13 cases remained outstanding with a balance of €63,930, four of which relate to 2014. The report said the commission was pursuing recoupment.

The report also revealed that the commission, which runs Leinster House, is in line for a large budget increase. It has a three-year budget cycle and the budget for 2016-2018 is €369m. This compared to the €311m spent between 2013 and 2015.

The report said: “The budget shows a modest increase compared to the previous three-year allocation, principally attributable to parliamentary reform measures, the costs associated with the elections to both Houses in 2016 and to fund investment in strategic ICT projects to improve efficiencies in operations and to meet the needs of a modern parliament.”

Peter Finnegan, clerk of the Dáil, said: “Expenditure for 2015 was €107.4m which brought the total spend over the three years to €311m, resulting in a saving of €13m.”