Results 681-700 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes. Were there also changes in practices after 1997?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: One just got the allowance and there was no vouching.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Is the Independent Members' leader's allowance part of this change from 1997?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Was that legislation introduced in 2001?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: I refer to the amount of the Independent leader's allowance, that is, the €41,000 unvouched amount.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: But it increased in 2001.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: From what period was that?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay. That increase would have come into effect in 1997. Is that how it would have worked?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Does this also correspond to an allowance paid for each Deputy elected to a party?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: But that is a different amount. For example, upon my election Fine Gael received an amount.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: But it is a different amount to the €41,000.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay. Deputy McDonald touched on the point that there is a paper trail for that money. It goes to the party and it gets investigated by the Standards in Public Office Commission.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank Mr. Watt. Before getting into specifics on actual expenses, what would the proposed independent body involve? Were we to move to that system, would it entail setting up an agency or can this be given to someone else to do, as was the case previously?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay. Is this a recommendation that is coming from the commission?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: It is important, when Mr. Coughlan speaks about reputational risk, because when I was elected, I was given a fob and was told I was obliged to fob in to prove to people that I was coming to work.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: I found it odd. As I already have reached my 120 days of attendance, can I simply stay at home? That system does not work and I can understand the reason Deputies from outside Dublin would be frustrated with it as well, because it is unfair to them. While people expect Members to come in here to legislate and create laws for the land, they also want them to prove they are coming to work....

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Eoghan Murphy: ----- which then are audited. What percentage is selected?