Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion. It is important that the Minister examine broadening the range of categories that qualify for Senators to claim within the €12,000 cap. There is no request for any extra money. It is just a request to broaden the categories for which Senators may claim. I will give some examples. I am based in Galway and have one assistant, supplied by two people who job share. Under working rules it is my duty to provide a place of work for my assistant. I provide an office attached to my home, with light, heat and a land line as the mobile coverage is very poor. That office space cannot be claimed for within the allowance for Senators. That is fundamentally unfair. It is a cost for Senators in this position. I ask that a credit be allowed for the use of an office space, be it attached to one's home or elsewhere, within the €12,000 allowance, nothing extra.

Theoretically, we are told, the Senator's constituency is the country. Constituency travel is allowed for Deputies within their Dáil constituency, which is a much smaller geographical area, but not for Senators. I strongly support what Senator Bradford said about the unlevel playing field that will exist for Senators. The Senators who came in on day one as Independent Senators are allowed to claim a leader's allowance and now, because that must be vouched and justified, they can feasibly fund an office and an assistant. The Minister will speak to that. We need to ensure a level playing field across the House. We have spent three weeks speaking to the Minister about the unlevel playing field addressed in our previous amendment.

I have been a member of the Oireachtas committee on education. Last year a decision was made that six members of the committee would go to Finland to study the Finnish education system. Members will know it has got much acclaim for being the best education system in the world. The outcomes, Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, reports and OECD studies show that. Seven members wanted to go. I was unlucky and was not one of the members drawn out of the hat but decided I was willing to pay to join the group to get access to all those important meetings and learning opportunities. I wanted to be a better parliamentarian, return here and share my knowledge and maybe bring forward a Bill or policies to enhance the education system, something to which I am committed all my life. I went to the one stop shop and found that if I paid for it myself I could not get credit for it under the current system. I was not seeking the money back, but wanted to know if I could use that within the €12,000 party allowance.

We are cutting off our nose to spite our face. When it is to do with our work, something that is good for parliamentarians can be good for the State. While any conference fee would have been allowable, the travel and subsistence costs would not. I am very careful to state that we do not seek any more money than the €12,000 already allowable but ask that the Minister come up with a single list for all parliamentarians in both Houses that would offer fair and achievable categories and, in our case, broaden the range of categories so we can have a bit of decency in doing our work.

How can I possibly run a home office and have an assistant who has no place of work? She must have a place to work from. She does not wish to work from Dublin. She is based in Galway, wishes to work there and I am glad to have her. I will be happy to hear the Minister's responses but above all that he would take time in the coming weeks and months to reflect on our request. I have heard through the grapevine that the Minister is very open to our arguments about examining a credit within the €12,000 allowance for an office based around one's home.