Donohoe reviewing travel expenses for TDs during Dáil restrictions
FINANCE Minister Paschal Donohoe is reviewing the system of travel expenses for TDs amid the ongoing coronavirus restrictions on Dáil business.
This week, the Irish Independent revealed that several TDs has been waiving their Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) during the lockdown.
Other TDs, mostly from rural constituencies, defended taking the payments due to the continuing need to travel to Dublin for work.
TDs are entitled to claim an estimated combined total of more than €250,000-a-month under the TAA.
There have been calls for it to be scaled back due to the restrictions on how many TDs can attend debates in Leinster House and a reduced number of sittings.
TDs are usually required to clock in to the Dáil on at least 120 days to get the full allowance, but the fobbing in system has been suspended during the crisis. The TAA is designed to cover the cost of getting to Leinster House, overnight stays and other travel expenses, including in constituencies.
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy and her five party colleagues in the Dáil are waiving TAA payments during the crisis. She contacted Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl to ask him to refer the TAA to the Department of Finance for review in light of the restrictions on Dáil sittings. A Department of Finance spokesperson said: “Minister Donohoe is currently examining the payment of the TAA paid to TDs and senators in consultation with the Houses of the Oireachtas.”
Ms Murphy was told that the department is expected to finalise changes to the allowances “within the next few weeks”.
On the issue of TAA payments during the crisis, she said: “I feel it would be preferable if this was not left to individual deputies but was a system-wide change.”
The department didn’t offer an update on the status of the work. “There is nothing further to report at this time.”
Green Party TDs Roderic
O’Gorman, Joe O’Brien and Malcolm Noonan all said they had waived at least some payments.
Fianna Fáil Longford-Westmeath TD Robert Troy said he would waive the allowance for as long as the crisis lasted. Several Sinn Féin TDs including David Cullinane, Denise Mitchell and John Brady said they were keeping a record of expenditure on travel to Leinster House and any money not used for travel would be returned at the end of the year.