Political conduct - Yet another despairing indictment
In yet another glaring example of politicians shooting themselves in the collective foot, it has come to light that a number of TDs who were stranded abroad last April when flights were suspended during the volcanic ash debacle caused by the eruption of Eyjafjallajoekull in Iceland, have since claimed they were in the Dáil at the time — even though they were clearly out of the country.
Worryingly, the Dáil attendance record was altered to facilitate the claims of the TDs concerned. Rightly or wrongly, the public perception is that the change was made so they could claim expenses under a new clocking-in system, an allegation rejected by the four deputies.
In real life, employees who have to sign-in for work are docked if they fail to turn up. Indeed, examples abound of public service workers who were similarly stranded during the volcanic crisis. In their case, the corresponding time in annual leave was stopped.
Stranded Kerry psychiatric nurses were ordered to pay back the money. And when they inquired if the volcanic ash scenario amounted to mitigating circumstances, they received no hearing from the HSE.
Under new Dáil rules in force since March, TDs are required to attend the House for 100 days in order to qualify for allowances. The reformed system involves a standard unvouched €12,000 a year for Dublin TDs and senators, with those from outside the capital falling into a range of payment bands up to €37,850.
The question now hanging over the four TDs is whether they were marking themselves present for expenses or just for the optics simply to maintain a full record of Dáil attendance. Whatever the explanation, that is misleading if not deception. The TDs also stress the attendance claim will not be used to boost their expenses. Ten other stranded TDs did not claim attendance. As one angry caller to Joe Duffy’s Liveline programme put it yesterday: “How can you claim for something if you’re not there?”
Ironically, Deputy Bernard Allen, who chairs the highly censorious Public Accounts committee, claimed he was in the Dáil though stranded abroad. Similarly, Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly and party colleague Deputy Jim O’Keeffe claimed attendance. As did Fianna Fáil ex-minister John O’Donoghue. No stranger to controversy, he resigned as Ceann Comhairle amid a furore over travel expenses.
Will politicians ever learn? Recent instances of self- inflicted damage include the debacle of Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s late night in Galway; inappropriate use of the Government jet by ministers; the controversy surrounding Senator Ivor Callely over travel expenses from his holiday home in West Cork and bogus mobile phone invoices.
