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ONE IN FIVE TDs in the 31st Dáil claimed more than €50,000 in expenses in 2011 according to new figures from the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The highest claimant was Fine Gael TD Noel Harrington from Cork South West. He was given over €53,000 in expenses since last February’s general election.
All of the TDs who received over €50,000 live outside of Dublin. The figures cover the period from polling day in the general election on 25 February through to 31 December 2011.
Fine Gael TDs make up 14 of the 34 Dáil members who received more than €50,000. Eight are from Fianna Fáil, six are Labour, five are Sinn Féin and one is Independent.
All 34 live outside of Leinster and are entitled to claim higher amounts because of the costs involved in travelling to the Dáil in Dublin’s city centre.
Dáil members are able to claim a travel and accommodation allowance to cover the cost of travel to and from Leinster House, as well as accommodation in Dublin if necessary. TDs – but not Ministers – can also claim for constituency travel. Instead, Ministers and Ministers of State are allowed to claim their travel expenses from their individual departments – which explains why they appear towards the lower end of the Oireachtas expenses list.
All of the highest claimants live at least 180 kilometres away from Dublin. Noel Harrington, who represents Cork South West, lives more than 360km away from Leinster House – the farthest of any TD.
Under a new system introduced in the wake of various expenses scandals, TDs can choose each year whether they want to claim expenses on a vouched or unvouched basis. TDs who choose to vouch for their expenses must submit receipts to show how they spent the money and are entitled to a higher rate of expenses.
All of the TDs with the highest amount of claims vouch for their expenses.
The 34 TDs who claimed over €50,000 in expenses last year:
1. Noel Harrington (FG) Cork South West: €53,714.95
2=Arthur Spring (Lab) Kerry North/West Limerick: €52,447.09
2=Jim Daly (FG) Cork South West: €52,477.09
3=Michael Moynihan (FF) Cork North West: €51,808.09
3=Joe McHugh (FG) Donegal North East: €51,808.09
3=Charlie McConalogue (FF) Donegal North East: €51,808.09
3=Pearse Doherty (SF) Donegal South West: €51,808.09
3=Áine Collins (FG) Cork North West: €51,808.09
4=David Stanton (FG) Cork East: €51,179.23
4=Jonathan O’Brien (SF) Cork North Central: €51,179.23
4=Dara Murphy (FG) Cork North Central: €51,179.23
4=Michelle Mulherin (FG) Mayo: €51,179.23
4=Michael McGrath (FF) Cork South Central: €51,179.23
4=Micheál Martin (FF) Cork South Central: €51,179.23
4=Ciarán Lynch (Lab) Cork South Central: €51,179.23
4=Joe Carey (FG) Clare: €51,179.23
4=Pat Breen (FG) Clare: €51,179.23
5. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF) Donegal North East: €51,174.19
6. Jerry Buttimer (FG) Cork South Central: €50,645.30
7=Brian Walsh (FG) Galway West: €50,540.23
7=Patrick O’Donovan (FG) Limerick: €50,540.23
7=Colm Keaveney (Lab) Galway East: €50,540.23
7=Sean Kyne (FG) Galway West: €50,540.23
7=Sandra McLellan (SF) Cork East: €50,540.23
7=Tony McLoughlin (FG) Sligo North Leitrim €50,540.23
7=Tom Barry (FG) Cork East: €50,540.23
7=Timmy Dooley (FF) Clare: €50,529.23
8=Niall Collins (FF) Limerick: €50,225.80
8=Michael Colreavy (SF) Sligo North Leitrim €50,225.80
8=Ciara Conway (Lab) Waterford: €50,225.80
8=Mattie McGrath (Ind) Tipperary South: €50,225.80
8=Michael McNamara (Lab) Clare: €50,225.80
8=Derek Nolan (Lab) Galway West: €50,225.80
8=Willie O’Dea (FF) Limerick City: €50,225.80
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Please follow suit here. There are plenty of refillable options.
@Jimmy Wallace: Don’t forget about the Tribunal at the end!
@Jimmy Wallace: … you forgot the Oversight Committee.
@Conrad Stapletwin: hahahah
@Jimmy Wallace: Is it time for your medication or mine?
@Malachy Cox: at which point lessons will be learned!
@Jimmy Wallace: you forgot to mention holding a referendum to complete the process…
@Jimmy Wallace: don’t forget about the Oireachtas committee
@damien leen: you beat me to it!! Lessons will be learned!!
As an ex-smoker and current refillable vaper, I’d support this ban. Disposables are a false economy and awful for the environment. And while the UK is already fairly awash with Chinese counterfeit products (which may get worse), I don’t think that’s an argument to not do this. Don’t let Perfection be the enemy of the Good, and all that.
Excellent News!
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Delighted for you.
Yes from me.
My youngest girl works Saturdays , few extra €, in a vape shop….she tells me it’s very busy…./ I can’t see that source of income lasting much longer.
@Ken Mc Carthy: what’s wrong with refillable and reusable vapes, Ken?
@Soundy Sound: tbh, I’ve no idea how the yokes work……. so this ban is just on throwaway ones ( 100% agree) & then there’s other ones ( with batteries & little tubs of juice) that will still be available?? Thats a great idea…..local park is always awash with litter— them ‘proud mary’ things
@Ken Mc Carthy: apologies….” LOST mary”
@Ken Mc Carthy: yet without having a clue, you were against the proposal to ban them! Do you ever stop to think a little and inform yourself before forming an view? It seems not.
@Ken Mc Carthy: You were thinking of another kind of smoking,Ken. “Proud Mary keep on burnin’,and we’re rollin’ (rollin’), rollin’, yeah (rollin’), Rollin’ on the river (rollin’ on the river)”
@Ken Mc Carthy: they all require batteries. The Lost Mary ones are also disposable.
@Soundy Sound: haha…… you’re soo like Mrs Mc Carthy……you’d look for an argument in an empty church!!!!! LOl
@Ken Mc Carthy: so because U don’t have a clue… actually nevermind I have to tend to my migraine you have brought on.
As Henry McKean said on Newstalk during the week,instead of all these watermelon and cherry flavoured vapes,you’d think they’d come up with a nice bbq flavour to replicate the lovely smoky sensation of the real stuff. Mmmm,Bbq Beef Hula Hoop,or spicy chorizo,anchovies on toast. That’d be more like it
@Larry Betts: ah stop please Larry! That’d make me want to start vaping!
Oh no..we will of course follow their lead as we always do.
I had to stop using disposables after Christmas. It’s a lot of waste and terrible for the environment. There’s loads of refillable alternatives though. OXVA is €35 euro, gives a similar experience to Lost Mary and Elfbar. You can even get those flavours too. It’s a lot cheaper as well.
@Gerald Obrien: I love Snaggle Grollop, the flavor is intense
@Gerald Obrien: you can get refillable elf bars. That’s what I use. They look the same but they are rechargeable, you just change the pod. A lot cheaper too.
Sorry for going off topic here,this is the first article down with comments open,the article further down on public sector pay deal and the we want to hear your thoughts,and the comment section closed,Jesus wept,how,if you want to hear people’s thoughts on the deal open the comment section FFS.
@Deano: How about you starting a discussion forum yourself?
@Gerben: looks like I just did,just as a matter of interest,does it make sense to you to post an article look for people’s thoughts on the subject of the article but close the comment section.
@Deano: They’re not looking for comments or people’s thoughts on the subject, they want it from the horse’s mouth, the ones directly affected. That’s why they put the big blue button at the bottom saying “Tap here to email us.”
@Diarmuid Hunt: They most certainly are looking for your thoughts,its literally there in the article.
If it’s good enough for Britain, then it’s good enough for Ireland
The government are looking into it.
Comments closed on immigration what’s the point have irish people comment on what effects our country too controversial journal no comment this a farce
@Chris Whelan: probably because everyone who wants to comment on those articles just posts total gibberish and most of them have appalling levels of grammar.
As you have succinctly proven.
100% we should follow this and soon. So many kids 10,11,12 year olds vaping constantly in school at home out with their friends. Sad, as nobody really knows what damage its doing to their health
I use a refillable vape when I’m not smoking cigarettes. Changing the coil and refilling can be a bit fiddly and messy and still produces waste. I know plenty of people who would have bought cigarettes for a night out and now get a disposable vape instead from the convenience store. I think they’re great for that purpose. Not good for the environment though but would you rather people smoke cigs?
@Radical Centrist: Convenience store? Where do you think you are?
@Tezmond McVicar: ha! Edit: Shop
@Jimmy Wallace: centra?
@Radical Centrist: don’t smoke if you only need them for a night out. Long term use refillable for giving up. They are not a cheaper replacement for cigarettes, they cause damage too
@Clare Maurer: it’s very easy to tell people not to smoke, especially drunk people! Vaping by far the lesser of two evils.
They should ban cigarettes and vapes and bring back the pipe for serious smokers. Mind you that will change when some influencer wxxker is filmed smoking a pipe.
Great Decision from the British Government I’m expecting to see no vapes in the hands where young can get them very soon
Like the days of alco pops very similar story lines to those whom moan about alco pop flavours now they have vapes to moan on about.
Social media is far worse than all those things.
Single use, not disposable.
Just do it then!!
If he would ‘like to see it’, then just get on with it!
have your say