Honest and transparent system would not provide unvouched option

ISN’T it interesting how so many Oireachtas members manage to claim such similar amounts in expenses and how they think you can be transparent and accountable but at the same time have an expenses system that is unvouched.

A really honest, transparent and accountable expenses system would not provide an unvouched option and would require all claimants to provide the actual receipts they base claims on, plus the rental agreements for constituency offices, as it seems reasonable to expect the expenses claimed are not just made up but are based on factual costs incurred and that receipts were issued when those costs were incurred – so publishing that data shouldn’t be a problem.

Here in Britain, when it’s announced that the expenses of parliamentarians are available online, they mean just that and you can view every single document proving the cost being claimed was in fact incurred.