Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 182: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the cost of living expenses awarded to the Taoiseach, Ministers, Ministers of State and TDs in 2006; and the increases per year of living expenses for the aforementioned since 2002. [32125/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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A list of out-of-pocket expenses payable to Oireachtas Members and Officeholders is set out below. The rates supplied are the rates that applied in 2002 and there have been no increases in the rates to date. Also set out below are the mileage rates payable to Oireachtas Members and Ministers of State for the years 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. There was no increase in the mileage rates in 2004. Members of the Oireachtas are also entitled to other allowances; 1,750 prepaid envelopes per month, the cost of tele-messages up to an annual limit of €952.30; free telephone calls from Leinster House, provision of €750 every 18 months to support the purchase of mobile phones including a car kit and the recoupment of the cost of non-personal mobile telephone costs while Members are abroad on official business up to a maximum of €25 per day. Finally, it should be noted that while the Minister for Finance is the regulatory authority for these allowances the day-to-day administration and payment of the expense allowances are dealt with by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, and are not matters in which the Minister has a direct function.

A general expense allowance is payable to Officeholders, TDs and Senators. This allowance is designed to reimburse Oireachtas members for the additional expense of being an Officeholder, TD or Senator not already encompassed by the other allowances/expenses. The current annual rates are: TDs, €5,482.73; Senators, €4,112.68; Taoiseach, €14,595.64; Tánaiste, Ministers and Ceann Comhairle, €13,390.66; Ministers of State and Leas-Cheann Comhairle, €12,170.44; Cathaoirleach, Leas-Chathaoirleach and Leader of the Seanad, €9,128.15.

The overnight allowance is available to TDs and Senators, in certain circumstances, who live more than 15 miles from Leinster House and who are not in receipt of the daily travel allowance. The allowance is intended to provide a Member with accommodation where they propose to attend a meeting the next day or attend a meeting which terminates too late to allow the member to return home on the same day. The current rate is €139.67 per night. A member who lives within 15 miles of Leinster House is entitled to claim a flat-rate daily travel allowance for each day on which the Member attends Leinster House. The current rate is €61.53 per day. The constituency office allowance provides a one-off grant towards the cost of setting up a constituency office and an annual grant for the running cost of the office. The current rates are — one-off grant, €8,888.17; and Annual Grant, €8,888.17 per annum. The purpose of the Constituency Travel Allowance is to compensate Dáil deputies for travel which they are obliged to undertake within their constituencies by virtue of their position as public representatives. Three different rates of allowances are provided to reflect the different travel requirements of constituencies: Category A, €2,745.17 per annum; Category B, €5,489.08 per annum; and Category C, €8,782.78 per annum. The Constituency Office Telephone Allowance provides Members of the Oireachtas with an allowance toward the telephone costs incurred by virtue of their position as public representatives. The Current Rate for TDs is €6,348.69 per annum and for Senators is €4,761.52 per annum. New arrangements regarding the payment of the Special Secretarial Allowance were put in place by Statutory Instrument 84/2005. Depending on which option the Member chooses under Statutory Instrument 84/2005, a Member may be entitled to retain the unvouched portion of the Special Secretarial Allowance. The Current Rates are: TDs, €8,888.17 per annum; and Senators, €6,666.12 per annum.