FF senator’s travel claim expense is miles ahead
THE Fianna Fail senator who “campaigned” for a Yes vote but voted No is claiming over €27,000 expenses travelling to Leinster House.
Lisa Chambers has been trying to distance herself from the referendum results by claiming she “wasn’t involved” in the disastrous Yes campaign.
But she appears to have caused further controversy with a claim for a tax-free annual allowance of €27,534.
Senator Chambers lives 1.8 kilometres from constituency rival Alan Dillon TD, but has to travel 35 kilometres further to get to Dublin, according to her expense claims.
Ms Chambers has declared that her home in Castlebar is 273km from Leinster House putting her in Band 9 and qualifying her for the higher tax-free allowance of €27,534.
Under Oireachtas rules this distance must be calculated based on the “shortest practicable route” and politicians are required to sign a declaration to this effect.
But Google Maps appears to show that there is an available route from her home to Leinster House of 238km which would put her in Band 7. In his declaration, Mr Dillon stated that his home in Castlebar is 238km from Leinster House, putting him in Band 7 – 2km short of Band 8.
Another Fine Gael TD, Michael Ring, lives over 25km further west than Ms Chambers but is still closer to Leinster House, according to her declaration, and is in Band 8.
Ms Chambers receives a senator’s salary of €76,329, an annual allowance of €24,100 as leader of the Seanad, as well as her €27,534 tax free travel allowance.
The total comes to €127,963.
She previously claimed she takes a longer route to Leinster House via Galway instead of travelling directly from Castlebar on the N5.
She said: “This is the quickest route to the motorway from Castlebar.
“It is the safest route and actually the quickest time-wise as I am on the motorway for most of the journey so I’m not getting stuck in traffic in the morning going through smaller towns.”
However, she did not comment this week when asked by the Irish Mirror why she was in a higher band of expenses than politicians who live further away from Leinster House.
It is the safest route and quickest time-wise as I am on the motorway