Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach is mixing up two areas of expenditure. As I understand it, the recommendations made by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to the Minister for Finance relate to the expenses of Members of the House in their capacity as Members of the House. I repeat I am disappointed the Minister has not approved the package that was recommended to him some time ago. As I understand it, the Minister was given the legislative authority to do so in legislation that was passed by the Oireachtas. The expenditure incurred by officeholders - Ministers and Ministers of State - is a separate matter. It is striking that Ministers and Ministers of State are always at the bottom of the league tables of expenses that are published periodically in newspapers, etc. They are at the bottom for the very good reason that their expenses do not go through the Houses of the Oireachtas. Will the Taoiseach agree, in the interests of transparency and so that everybody can see what is going on, to provide that details of the expenses incurred by officeholders and associated with such offices are made available in the same way as the expenses of Members of the Oireachtas are made public?

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