19 Sep 2011, 17:12
This was a once-off increase in 2010 following a transition from the old travel expenses system to a new system of standard monthly allowances based on distance from Leinster House and daily attendance recording. The transition happened in March 2010 and there were overhang payments from the old system which had to be made in 2010 thus artificially inflating the spend for 2010. The overall underlying spend on Members' travel allowances has fallen from its 2008 level (before cuts commenced) of €6.014m to an expected annual spend of €5.25m approx.(12.7 %) (although the 2011 expected spend will be lower at €4.8m approx, because of the elections).
The cost of secretarial assistance for non-office holders also rose from €19.5m in 2009 to almost €20.5m. in 2010 (Staff of Members and parliamentary parties engaged under the secretarial assistance scheme are contract staff engaged for the duration of a Dáil or Seanad. They are not public servants as such. Staff numbers and salaries in civil service payrolls have been falling due to the cuts in salaries and the public service recruitment moratorium as a result of which people who leave are not replaced. The moratorium and salary cuts do not apply to the secretarial assistance staff as they are not public servants. Each Member of the Dáil is entitled to employ two members of staff and each Member of the Seanad one member of staff. Each Member thus has a very small complement of staff and non-replacement of those who leave their posts would not be practicable in terms of the disproportional effect on the work of an individual Member. The annual budget for secretarial assistance has recently been capped at €20m by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
Further Information:
Verona Ni Bhroinn
Press and Public Relations Officer,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
01- 618 3881, 087 2624132