Written answers
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Exchequer Savings
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
90. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if Teachta Dála salaries were capped at €75,000. [26616/15]
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
91. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if Senators' pay was capped at €60,000. [26617/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to questions nos. 147 and 148 on 9 July 2014 in which I referred the Deputy to my reply to questions nos. 399 and 400 on 16 July 2013 (refs. 34463/13 and 34464/13). The position and figures remain as outlined in that reply.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
92. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if the allowances portion of salary, which excludes Teachta Dála salary paid to Department Ministers, Ministers of State and An Taoiseach, were reduced by 50%. [26618/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Based on current rates, a 50% reduction in the Officeholder allowances (salaries) payable in respect of the positions of Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister and Minister of State would yield an annual saving of €805,762.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
93. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if all Oireachtas officeholders' allowances were withdrawn. [26619/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Based on current rates, the Officeholder allowances (salaries) payable in respect of all Oireachtas Officeholder positions amount to a total of €1,789,448 per annum.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
94. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if party leaders' allowances were reduced by 10%. [26620/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Based on the amounts currently payable, a reduction of 10% in the Parliamentary Activities Allowance (formerly called the Party Leaders Allowance) would yield an annual saving of €765,857. The Parliamentary Activities Allowance was last reduced in 2014.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
95. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if committee chairpersons' allowances were withdrawn. [26621/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The allowances currently payable to Chairpersons of Oireachtas Committees amount to a total of €139,840 per annum.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
96. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission allowance was withdrawn. [26622/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The allowances currently payable to certain Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission amount to a total of €61,667 per annum.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
97. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if the super-junior Minister allowance was withdrawn. [26623/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The two Ministers of State who regularly attend meetings of the Government are each paid an allowance of €15,829 per annum.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
98. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer if all Ministers' special advisers' salaries were capped at the first point of the principal officer grade, €75,647. [26624/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The annual saving to the Exchequer, if the salaries of the Special Advisors in my Department were capped at the first point of the non-PPC Principal Officer grade, would be €42,844.
In the context of current Special Advisor's pay, the first point of the Principal Officer scale, referred to, applies to those appointed prior to 1 January 2013.
Arising from the revised pay arrangements for certain new entrant employees to the public service who are required to be members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (Circular 3/2014 refers), the appropriate first point on the Principal Officer scale is €79,401 and the annual saving would be €35,336.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
99. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual saving to the Exchequer in a single year if the mobile telephone allowance for Teachtaí Dála and Senators was withdrawn. [26625/15]
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The current provision available under the Direct Purchase Scheme to TDs and Senators is a maximum of €750 every 18 months for the purchase of one mobile phone, car kit, installation costs and insurance subject to an application with receipts and proof of all of the expenditure incurred. The Deputy may wish to note that Ministers and Ministers of State are not eligible for this scheme. In the eighteen months from January 2014 to June 2015, the total expenditure under the Direct Purchase Scheme was €23,936.
No comments