Details of allowances paid to TDs and Senators for travel and subsistence have been published on the Oireachtas website today.
It is the first time the information on monthly expenses has been officially published by the Oireachtas since the introduction of a new system of payment last March.
Payment of the Parliamentary Standard Allowance came into effect on March 1st.
Under the changes to the expenses regime, parliamentarians will no longer claim mileage and daily allowances, but will be paid a yearly allowance, depending on the distance between their constituencies and Leinster House.
Chairman of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Seamus Kirk said all amounts paid to members will be published on the Oireachtas website retrospectively each month, from today.
Figures for March and April were made available today. Payments made to TDs ranged from zero to approximately €5,000 for each of the two months. Payments to Senators ranged from zero to about €3,900 for each month.
“This change in policy is another important step for the Houses of the Oireachtas. It provides the public with detailed, up-to-date information on the level of allowances paid to their elected representatives on a monthly basis,” Mr Kirk said.
“I think it is acknowledged that there are certain costs that members of the Oireachtas incur in relation to their travel and accommodation costs when attending the Oireachtas and in serving the needs of their constituents.
“I believe that regularly disclosing these costs will result in a greater level of accountability and will bring more public confidence to the system,” Mr Kirk said.
He said the initiative was part of the ongoing commitment by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission “to provide open, transparent and accountable Parliament on behalf of the people who elect it”.
“Today’s announcement adds to the recent reforms made to the way TDs and Senators expenses are vouched and accounted for. Under the new system, introduced earlier this year, Members are given a standard all-in-one monthly parliamentary allowance to defray costs incurred.”
Mr Kirk said the changes had streamlined the system for members and they were now more verifiable and accountable from the public’s perspective.
“In addition, members are now required to verify their attendance at Leinster House and will be liable for deductions for non-attendance.”
The parliamentary allowance is made up of two separate strands – a travel and accommodation allowance and a public representation allowance.
The travel allowance covers the cost of travel to and from Leinster House. In the case of deputies, the annual amounts range from €12,000 per annum for Dublin based deputies to €37,850 per annum for those living 360km or more from the city.
Senators are paid a reduced amount as they do not receive payments for constituency travel.
The annual amounts vary from €7,000 per annum for Dublin-based Senators to €32,850 per annum for those 360km or more from Leinster House.
For the public representation allowance, members choose either a vouched or unvouched allowance at the beginning of each year. Where they choose a vouched allowance, they may be paid a maximum of €25,700 per year to cover costs such as rent, rates, stationery, office cleaning costs, insurance and telephone costs.
The unvouched allowance is a minimum annual amount of €15,000.
Ministers, Ministers of State and the Ceann Comhairle are not entitled to the travel allowance. The Ceann Comhairle receives an annual accommodation allowance of €16,350.