Cork TD tops expenses list

The Oireachtas has for the first time published the expenses of TD's and Senators online.

From today, anyone can view the expenses of their local representatives on the internet.

Fine Gael TD for Cork South West PJ Sheehan tops the list for the highest expenses in March and April.

The figures also show that the Fianna Fáil senator Ivor Callely handed back a cheque of almost €4,000 to the Oireachtas in March.

The Dublin Senator has come in for criticism for claiming over €80,000 in expenses, after he stated that his principle address is in West Cork.

Oireachtas authorities believe that regularly disclosing the costs will result in a greater level of accountability and will bring more public confidence to the system.