THREE DUBLIN-based TDs from the United Left Alliance who used part of their travel and accommodation allowances for a nationwide campaign against water and household charges have questioned a provisional ruling that they were not entitled to do so.
Yesterday the Houses of the Oireachtas Service said allowances of €1,000 a month paid to Joe Higgins and Clare Daly of the Socialist Party and Joan Collins of People Before Profit should have been used only to cover costs within their Dublin constituencies, and travelling to and from Leinster House.
In a statement the service said it had “never envisaged that the allowance would allow Deputies to travel outside of their constituencies, except for journeys to and from Leinster House”.
However, it said it was seeking legal advice to clarify the position.
All three TDs have confirmed this week that they used part of the allowance to cover expenses for attending protest meetings and rallies throughout the country.
Yesterday Ms Daly said if it was found the allowance was inappropriate she would repay the amount involved.
However, she pointed to the fact that legal advice was now being sought as a demonstration of the uncertainty surrounding the rules for the allowance.
Socialist Party colleague Joe Higgins struck a less accepting stance on the finding, maintaining he was within his rights to use the allowance so that he could attend meetings throughout the country. That went to the heart of what he stood for politically.
Mr Higgins pointed to what he said was the inherent unfairness in a system which gave millions of euro in leaders’ allowances to some parties but gave nothing to his party despite the fact it had two TDs.
Parties which secure less than 2 per cent of the national vote are not entitled to that allowance.
