Written answers

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Oireachtas Members' Remuneration

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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475. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the annual monetary payment made to Oireachtas members in allowances (details supplied). [38672/13]

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Statutory Instrument No. 530 of 2011 provides for an annual allowance to be paid to the chairpersons of 15 specified committees. The amount of this allowance was reduced on 1 July 2013, in line with the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013. The new rate for 14 of these committees is €8,740 if the chairperson is a TD and €5,989 if the chairperson is a Senator. The allowance for the chairperson of the Committee for Member’s Interests in Seanad Éireann has been reduced to zero following the application of the Act.

Under Statutory Instrument No. 84 of 2010 members of the Oireachtas under the public representational element of the Parliamentary Standard Allowance may, among other items, claim for telephone calls, otherwise than from Leinster House, including line rental and mobile calls, relating to the performance of his or her duties as a member. Ministers may not claim for these expenses. Under the same Regulations, an additional amount of €1,700 per annum is payable to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee for the same purpose. An additional amount of €1,000 per annum is to the Chairman of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, a Joint Committee appointed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, the Select Committee on Members’ Interests of Dáil Éireann, or the Select Committee on Members’ Interests of Seanad Éireann.

The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 transferred to the Commission from the Minister for Finance the function of payment of the allowances referred to.

There is no Committee Chairperson hospitality allowance payable to a committee chairperson. However, I am informed by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Service that an allocation is provided to Oireachtas committees to meet expenditure incurred within the Leinster House complex on entertainment associated with committee business or arising from official committee travel. When entertainment arises, the committee present the relevant invoice or receipt, following which that bill is then paid by the Oireachtas. Each committee can spend a maximum of €2,539 per annum.

If the Deputy wishes to obtain further information on that allocation, or details of payments made in a particular year or period in respect of these allowances, she may request these from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission directly.

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