Regina Doherty happy to repay €15k overpayment from term as Chief Whip

The Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty says she is happy to pay back more than €15,000 to the Exchequer after she was overpaid while she was Chief Whip.

She will hand back around €1,000 a month after the Department of Public Expenditure admitted it made a mistake.

The Attorney General ruled she was not entitled to the additional allowance after a complaint from the Labour leader Brendan Howlin.

Minister Doherty says she has made provision to pay back the money.

She said: "I'm not annoyed at all, to be honest with you. The experience I got being the Chief Whip for 12, maybe 13 months last year, I couldn't have gained that experience in any other department.

"I got to stick my nose into everybody's business and learn a lot.

"And you know what? I made a mistake, we all make mistakes, it's not the end of the world."