I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time.
This Bill may be regarded as an attempt to relieve certain members of the Oireachtas of burdens which would appear to weigh too heavily on them and which do not affect the majority. Members who live a long distance from Dublin and who are obliged to stay overnight in Dublin when the Houses are meeting are therefore, in a worse position comparatively than those who are within reach of their homes. While it is true that for years they have had to pay their hotel expenses, it must be admitted that, in recent years, the cost has increased considerably for those who have to stay overnight. I am satisfied that there is a strong case for the present proposal to recoup them for such expenses. A claim can only be considered when a member claims expenses for a night before or a night after a meeting of either House of the Oireachtas—the House, of course, of which he is a member—or a meeting of a Committee of either House on which the member is serving.
Regulations will be made from time to time by the Minister for Finance which will fix the amount of the allowances and will also lay down the member who is eligible for payment, having regard to the geographical position of his residence, and also fix the area within which he may stay during his time in Dublin.
Members of the Oireachtas have always had free telephone facilities for the metropolitan area but they had to pay for trunk calls. It is desirable to have dial phones installed both for the convenience of Deputies and for the relief of the staff in the House exchange here. When the dial phones are made available, new regulations will be necessary to deal with trunk calls especially. It is not intended to give free trunk calls except in a few cases, where they might be regarded at present as trunk calls, but where they are available on the dial telephone. Members will be free, of course, to dial any number the dial phone may give them, where they do not request the intervention of the exchange. In that case, of course, there is only a nominal benefit for members but they will at least have a quicker service and, as time goes on, and the system becomes more automatic, they will gradually become entitled to a wider range of free calls. Further consideration will have to be given to this question of trunk calls but that is a matter for discussion and for regulation.
For many years, the question of free postage has been under consideration. There was always general agreement on the desirability of such a scheme but there was never agreement on a satisfactory method by which this free postage could be given, and it was difficult to discover a method which would run smoothly from the administrative point of view. It is proposed now to frank letters from Members to their constituents. They will be franked in the Dáil Office at Leinster House and this will mean a good deal, indeed, to Deputies who have a very large mail to deal with, whether the extra work is due to a more exacting constituency or a more willing Deputy. It will mean very little indeed to others who have a small mail for whatever reason.
I cannot give any sort of firm estimate of the cost of this Bill but it will be necessary to take a Supplementary Estimate for the first quarter of 1963 and then we shall have an idea of what the cost may be. I should say that although the Bill comes before the Dáil at the end of the season, it is by no means a rushed measure. I have been discussing these matters, the matters included in the Bill, over a long period with the Committee of Procedure and Privileges. While I was in full agreement with the Committee that the proposals were acceptable, the delay arose from a desire on their part to produce a scheme that would benefit those, but only those, who had a compelling reason for relief and that would, on the face of it, show that no unfair or unforeseen advantage could be taken of it.
The members of the two Houses are competent to settle their own salaries and allowances by legislation. I think it can be truly said that they have never abused that power. The duties of a Deputy are always increasing and, while his occupation is officially regarded as part-time, it is not feasible for many Deputies to engage in other occupations or supplement their incomes from any source of employment. When the question of increased remuneration or higher allowances comes up for consideration, the time given is prolonged, not in a wrangle with those who look for more, but always with those who are reluctant to agree to any increase. I commend the Bill to the members of the Dáil.