Higgins to seek legal advice after expenses-furore

Joe Higgins has said that he will seek independent legal advice after the Houses of the Oireachtas confirmed this evening that TDs' travel expenses should not be used for travel outside a deputy's constituency.

It means three TDs - including Deputy Higgins - could find themselves forced to pay back taxpayer's money they spent on traveling to attend anti-household charge events.

Mr. Higgins' Socialist Party colleague Clare Daly and People Before Profit's Joan Collins could also be in line to repay expenses spent.

Earlier the Oireachtas Service said their own legal advice re-affirmed their original position - that expenses shouldn't have been spent outside the deputies' constituencies.

Joe Higgins has previously said he will pay back the money he used, if he is found to have acted improperly.

He has said that the whole thing is absurd, but he will stand by that promise.

Statement from Joe Higgins TD :

I now intend to seek independent legal advice on the interpretation of Statutory Instrument 84/2010 as I believe that Section 4 (1)’s reference to a travel allowance to be used for ‘travel expenses which the member is obliged to incur in the performance of his or her duties as a member of Dáil Eireann’, clearly refers to elected representatives honouring their election mandates.

In its press statement the Houses of the Oireachtas Services says ‘Members are obliged to apply allowances received in the manner provided for in the legislation only. In the normal way, members are required to reconcile and recompense, as appropriate, at the end of year certification process.’

Should a clear body of legal opinion establish that my interpretation of Statutory Instrument 84/2010 was mistaken, I will ‘reconcile and recompense’ as required the amounts used for travelling to campaign meetings against the Government’s austerity agenda outside of Dublin West.