The Parliamentary Activities Allowance (formerly known as the Party Leader's Allowance) is provided for in the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 1938, as amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act 2014. The allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a qualifying party in relation to expenses arising from the parliamentary activities, including research, of the party. Payments are made in respect of members of the party elected to Dáil Éireann and members elected/nominated to Seanad Éireann at the last preceding general election or a subsequent bye-election or, in the case of Seanad Éireann, nominated to it after the last preceding general election. The legislation also provides that payments may be made to a member of Dáil or Seanad Éireann who is elected other than as a member of a qualifying party.
The conditions governing entitlement to payment of the allowance are set out in the Act. The primary restriction in the Act on the use of the allowance is that it may not be used in respect of election expenses. The allowance is non-taxable and is paid monthly in arrears into a bank account specified by the beneficiary of the allowance. It is not claimed in the same manner as expense allowances. The legislation provides that each party leader must prepare a statement of expenditure for the allowance, to have it audited by an independent auditor and furnish it with the auditor's report to the Standards in Public Office (the Commission) Commission. Based on the accounts submitted, the Commission is required to make a report in relation to the use of the Parliamentary Activities Allowance and cause a copy of the report to be laid before the Oireachtas.
I have no plans to discontinue payment of the allowance. However, following a review of the allowance and a consultation process with leaders of qualifying political parties, qualifying independent members and with the Standards in Public Office Commission, I provided for certain amendments to the allowance under this year's Act. The Act provides for a reduction of 10% in the rates of the allowance, representing an estimated full year Exchequer saving of €0.84 million. Furthermore, with effect from 1 July of this year, the same audit and reporting provisions that apply to parliamentary leaders will now also apply to independent members in receipt of the allowance. For the first time, Independent Members will have to record and account for expenditure from the allowance, all of which is to be expended in respect of parliamentary activities, including research.
The total amounts paid to each qualifying independent member from 9 March 2011 to date are set out in the following tables. I am not aware of any amounts that may have been returned by Independent members.
|
Independent Deputies
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014 (end May)
|
Total
|
|
Catherine Murphy
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Finian McGrath
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
John Halligan
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Luke "Ming" Flanagan
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€16,535.95
|
€133,623.07
|
|
Mattie McGrath
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Maureen O Sullivan
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Michael Healy Rae
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Michael Lowry
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Michael Wallace
|
€0.00
|
€75,935.16
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Noel Grealish
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Shane Ross
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Seamus Healy
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Stephen Donnelly
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Thomas Pringle
|
€34,783.20
|
€41,151.96
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Tom Fleming
|
€34,293.30
|
€41,641.86
|
€41,151.96
|
€17,146.65
|
€134,233.77
|
|
Total
|
€486,474.90
|
€652,552.50
|
€617,279.40
|
€256,589.05
|
€2,012,895.85
|
|
Independent Senators
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014 (end May)
|
Total
|
|
David Norris
|
€15,913.41
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€72,422.23
|
|
Fergal Quinn
|
€15,913.40
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€72,422.22
|
|
Ronan Mullen
|
€15,913.40
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€72,422.22
|
|
John Crown
|
€15,913.40
|
€18,388.64
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€67,427.90
|
|
Sean Barrett
|
€15,913.40
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€72,422.22
|
|
Martin McAleese
|
€3,247.63
|
€23,382.96
|
€3,897.16
|
€0.00
|
€30,527.75
|
|
Fiach Mac Conghaill
|
€14,394.35
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€70,903.17
|
|
Eamon Coghlan
|
€14,394.35
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€70,903.17
|
|
Dr. Katherine Zappone
|
€14,394.35
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€70,903.17
|
|
Mary Ann O Brien
|
€14,394.35
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€70,903.17
|
|
Marie Louise O Donnell
|
€14,394.35
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€70,903.17
|
|
Jillian Van Turnhaut
|
€14,394.35
|
€23,382.96
|
€23,382.96
|
€9,742.90
|
€70,903.17
|
|
Total
|
€169,180.75
|
€275,601.20
|
€261,109.72
|
€107,171.90
|
€813,063.57
|
