Madam, – The speculative article by Enid O’Dowd (Opinion, August 28th) did little to inform the public regarding the serious issue of affording an effective parliamentary system.
The article states that the “new (expenses) system effective from March 1st this year increased the amount of unvouched expenses”. Incorrect. The system actually decreases this sum.
The piece then suggests that “politicians are more ‘equal’ than other citizens”. Why? Because our Constitution recognises that all citizens are equal while also providing for a parliament that can make provision for payment of allowances to members for travel and other such facilities. The fact that members of the Oireachtas are first and foremost also citizens who have been democratically elected to be members of our parliament isn’t mentioned because this might complicate what is a determinedly simplistic point. And every citizen, including chartered accountants and journalists, is equally entitled to seek election to the Oireachtas.
The article then speculates that the new expenses system may have resulted from the resignation of the chairman of the houses audit committee in autumn 2009. Again, speculative and untrue. The new system was under development since 2007.
It then takes issue with the fact that the system includes provision for “extraordinary circumstances” for non-attendance. The reality is that this provision has been employed just once to date and that was due to travel disruption caused by the volcanic ash earlier this year. I suspect you will agree that a volcanic eruption passes as being “extraordinary”. You may also accept that neither bereavements nor illnesses need to be itemised. The other grounds for exempting attendance include official business abroad which is sometimes derided but is common to all member states of bodies such as the EU and UN. A parliament must be allowed to function.
The writer concludes by noting that the new system will be reviewed next year, before declaring “but don’t bother writing to your TD about this. Our politicians, regardless of party, clearly feel they are entitled to their expenses whether vouched or unvouched”.
On the contrary, rather than be sucked into this admittedly seductive simplification of a serious matter, I would suggest that readers contact their member of the Oireachtas. They will discover members who are exceptionally accessible and who have no difficulty explaining the real costs of participating effectively as a member of our national parliament and who do so in the interest of every citizen. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Enid O’Dowd’s article (Opinion, August 28th) is the most informative I have read on the subject of politicians’ expenses. It demonstrates clearly the huge improvements in salary, expenses and conditions of our elected representatives which took place after Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McCreevy became minister for finance in 1997. It demonstrates also that the so-called reforms of our current Minister of Finance last year when our economic crisis was peaking has made it easier, if anything, to abuse the system.
As for saving taxpayers’ money, apparently that was not even the aim of the changes introduced. Expenses paid at the moment are currently running at €170,000 per week. Under the new system Dublin TDs can and do claim €2,250 per month in unvouched expenses for travel to and from the Dáil and within the constituency. Even Bertie Ahern, who has a chauffeur-driven State car for all travel purposes, has claimed this maximum amount per month since publication of expenses according to the Oireachtas website.
The attendance requirement, under the new system is a joke. TDs have to attend only 120 days in order to qualify for full payment. Non-attendance, certified by the Ceann Comhairle or a medical certificate, will count as “attendance” for purposes of qualifying. How anyone can be paid an attendance allowance for non-attendance beggars belief. The only expenses reform the taxpayer wants is a referendum on Article 15.15 of the Constitution drawn up at a time when Dáil salaries were a tiny fraction of the almost €100,000 per annum basic paid today. – Yours, etc,