Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the conditions that apply to the payment of the leaders' allowance to Deputies and Senators; and his plans to reform the payments to those Deputies and Senators that are outside of political parties. [40637/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Party Leader's Allowance is provided for in the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) Act, 1938, as amended by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2001.

The allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a qualifying party in relation to expenses arising from the parliamentary activities, including research, of the party. Payments are made in respect of members of the party elected to Dáil Éireann and members elected/nominated to Seanad Éireann at the last preceding general election, or a subsequent bye-election or, in the case of Seanad Éireann, nominated to it after the last preceding general election.

The primary restriction in the Act on the use of the allowance is that it may not be used in respect of election expenses.

In addition, the 2001 Act gives a statutory oversight role in relation to the Party Leader's Allowance to the Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission. This requires each party leader to prepare a statement of expenditure for the allowance, to have it audited by an independent auditor and furnish it with the auditor's report to the Commission. Based on the accounts submitted, the Commission is required to make a report to the Minister in relation to the use of the Party Leader's Allowance and cause a copy of the report to be laid before the Oireachtas.

In relation to payments made to Deputies and Senators that are outside political parties, an allowance in connection with his or her parliamentary activities may be paid if he or she is a member of Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann, who at the last preceding general election or a subsequent bye-election, was elected as a member of Dáil Éireann or elected/ nominated for Seanad Éireann after the preceding general election, other than as a member of a qualifying party, i.e. an Independent member. The SIPO Commission's oversight provisions do not apply to the allowances paid to Independent members. I intend to bring proposals to Government in early 2012 in relation to the Party Leader's Allowance.