Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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310. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide details in tabular form by Deputy and Senator of the total amount paid under the Leaders allowance to individual members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann excluding those Deputies who were leaders of political parties comprising three deputies or more since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30081/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Party Leaders 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 legislation, when introduced in 1938, made provision for payments to leaders of qualifying parties in respect of members of Dáil Éireann only. The legislation was amended in 1996 to provide that payments may be made to a member of Dáil Éireann, who at the last preceding general election, or at a subsequent bye-election, was elected as a member other than as a member of a qualifying party. A similar provision was introduced in 2001 to provide for payments to independent members of Seanad Éireann who were appointed or elected as members other than as members of a qualifying party.

Under the legislation, a qualifying independent TD may be paid an annual rate currently amounting to €41,152. Similarly, a qualifying independent Senator may be paid an annual rate currently amounting to €23,383.

The amounts paid to each independent TD from the period 2001 to date are set out at Appendix A. The amounts paid to each independent Senator from the period 2001 to date are set out at Appendix B. The current data systems in use allow for detailed payment records in the manner requested by the Deputy from 2001, however this system does not permit detailing the payments to independent TDs prior to 2001. For information in relation to the amounts paid to leaders of qualifying parties under the legislation from 2002-2012, the Deputy may wish to refer to PQ 12254 of 7 March 2013.

Appendix A – Payments made to Independent Members of Dáil Éireann 2001-2013

Appendix B – Payments made to Independent Members of Seanad Éireann 2001-2013