So much for abolition, it’s more an incubation chamber for the parasitic practicing all manner of ways to extract the citizens money, a breeding ground for the self righteous entitlement hunters. Shame on you all. Go now and stay gone and return the money. Services need it, you do not.

All expenses should be abolished,its only fair.

All expenses should be vouched.

With the focus shifting to expenses, what are we missing? This is no more than a smokescreen. While we ‘rage’ about this, focus is off the fiscal treaty. Refocus people. Don’t be suckered all the time.

As I said in many of my posts,they are all at it.Thats why fuck all had been done to the potholed roads here.All the road tax goes to line their pockets.They shoud have no expenses,just like everyone elsr

When I worked as a contractor I couldn’t claim for travel to and from work so why can these jokers claim for it? 4 legs good 2 legs better!

They are even getting expenses for the seanad,and thats only a part time job.It should be abolished.Waste of money.

love the way Sinn Fein spend half there time outside the dail picketing and protesting with the poor but are the 1st to go inside and claim outrageous amounts of expenses for doing so

Fianna Fail maintain the same money-grabbing attitude!

It’s a job for the boys gig.
Ivana balack maybe the only labour candidate in the last general election not to get elected. The Irish people who live in her area said they didn’t want her to represent them, so what does Gilmore do give her a job representing all the people.
Money for nothing expenses for nothing, even heating the senaed is a waste of money.
Disband dissolve disappear

Direct Democracy Now! Independent of a sitting representative Government. We have the technology. Let’s get the will power. With the Occupy protests around the world, there has never been a better time. Come on people!

Every time I hear the word Seanad,my stomach twists slightly & I think of this joker -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RaNqMzVIE0

The leader of the house eh…….

In fairness Dermot, this article shows that two people received what seem to be more realistic sums for expenses (although I’m no expert) with one claiming none at all until his wife stopped being President, which I think is admirable.

That said those two don’t make up for the disgrace that is the rest of them, especially seeing as the basic salary for a Senator is quite high. The company I work for is, much like Ireland, not to healthy financially. While we can claim expenses the small office staff usually don’t as we know that every penny counts and I think it’s a joke that this ideal is being waived to such a high degree here.

And mr harte claimed over 30k. 1 and half times what magda gets on the dole, and thats outside of his astronomical pay for prob 2 days a week. Its gut sickening

The Irish Senate is very similar to our American College Social Fraternities that one can voluntarily join while attending college. Today’s fraternity, allows a bunch of lads the ability to party, act like fools, discriminate and segregate for survival and sometimes involve themselves in illegal actions that are often seen as college high-jinx, all under the cloud of secrecy! The Fraternity benefits no one accept the member!

Why is the Seanad still not abolished? It’s a farce!

Local Senator?

Unvouched expenses are taxed in the private sector. And are frowned upon by revenue. Why are publc sector not treated in the same way? Sickening

Justin many thanks for that stomach churning reminder. However the real problem with the Senate is the means by which people like Donie Cassidy got elected. A more representative Upper House where for example the Trade Union movement could directly elect one member who would receive a nominal payment. You could benchmark that payment at a level that could be slightly higher than Board membership of a State Company. Other Bodies such as Universities could elect a member (rather than the three from Trinity at the present time ) and this could be repeated through all of the cultural and arts bodies to achieve the desired number. The Taoiseachs nominee could be personally chosen but must come from a specific category including the unemployed and pensioners.
Unlike the present system this Upper House would be substantially apolitical and debates on legislation could be substantially better informed. Our Democracy does need this balancing House of the Oireachtas and particularly where the Lower House can have such a narrow focus with SinnFein trying to pick off Fianna Fail and huge Government numbers reducing the contributions from back benches.
So my position would be anti abolitionist right now.

Pat if you read my comments about the restructuring of the Senate you will see that attendance monies and expenses would disappear while the membership would change enormously and thus be more representative of society at all levels. At the moment it is a retirement home or a training ground for Dail membership.
Just to be more inflammatory I would introduce Regulations to ban senior members of the trade union movement from being appointed to the boards of State owned Companies. This an appalling conflict of interest that has gone on for too long and when added to the already bloated salaries of people representing ordinary workers renders the Unions impotent!
Even without any new regulations ordinary trade unionists should be horrified that their leaders are ” enjoying” income from employers!
Back to the bunker for me!

This should be closed and if they wish to continue let it be totally voluntary. No expenses or allowances. The same should apply to the councils. We are broke and borrowing money to pay these people while sick kids get sicker.

Why are Senators and TD’s being paid to go to work?? I have to make my own way to work, pay car tax, insurance, petrol, parking out of my own pocket. If I said to my employer that I wanted travel expenses to get to work I’d be fired! So we should fire the lot of them because we pay their expenses!!!!!!!!!!

Parasitic leeches, the lot of them

choo choo , the parliamentry gravy train rolls on and on .

All Members of the European Parliament receive expenses to ensure that so called local MEP’s do not become the quorum for all debates and votes . This makes complete sense as it would not be logical to suggest that a person elected to represent Munster would have to fund their own travel and accommodation costs?
Assuming there is no argument to that position then there is little difference in the idea of compensating Members of Dail Eireann under the same headings. The Senate if restructured under the proposals I have made on this discussion would see the need for expenses abandoned.
Unfortunately any thing that seems to support the status quo on these pages has generally resulted in
foaming at the mouth and personal threats of violence delivered to me by email.

Pat that’s not correct……….unvouched expenses are also called allowances and there are a large number available across all sectors that are treated as non taxable by the Revenue.
Daily allowances of sixty Euros to include overnight accommodation and luncheon allowance of up to fourteen Euro if you are at least five miles or five hours from your working base can be claimed without receipt. Mileage claims for all sorts of workers do not require receipts. Allowances can be claimed for uniforms and clothing as well as Union membership fees are permitted without receipts on the basis of agreed fixed sums.
We should be careful as to where our stones land when indiscriminately thrown!

I should also add that if ordinary workers while in business for their organization or company claim expenses by way of receipt…………….vouched expenses………as many commentators are screaming for …..there is really no limit to what can be claimed………..in other words you could stay overnight in a five star hotel and have that sum reimbursed without any tax implications or claim the smaller unvouched sixty Euros.
The frenzied attacks on Senators and Members of the Dail should perhaps be seen in this context.
To be really inflammatory it is my understanding that someone claiming First Communion expenses from Social Welfare is not required to produce receipts.
I have just retired to my bunker now!

Dermot you’re just a cynical and cold faced whingere,who has nothing good to say about anyone.
That ok in normal times but we are clearly a far distance from normal times…..Dermot shut up!

There must be some clause in the irish law books to get them out for their lies alone.