Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
TWELVE INDEPENDENT MEMBERS of the Seanad are each being given an annual allowance of over €23,000 – a payment one TD has described as one of the “best-kept secrets” in Irish public life.
The Public Accounts Committee was this morning told that as many as 17 members of the Seanad could be benefitting from the payment, which is given to independent members to make up for the absence of the support of any full political party.
A spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has this afternoon confirmed, however, that 12 members are in receipt of the payment which is worth €23,383 per year.
The committee heard that independent senators receiving the allowance – known informally as the ‘party leaders’ allowance’ – are not required to account for how they spend it, though they are not permitted to use it for electoral purposes.
Fianna Fáil member of the committee Seán Fleming described the payment as “the best kept secret in public life in Ireland, to my mind”.
Seven of the Senators receiving the payment are independent nominees of the Taoiseach, while the other five are the independent members elected through the two University panels.
The five University senators benefitting from the payment are David Norris, Feargal Quinn, Rónán Mullen, John Crown and Sean Barrett.
The seven independent nominees who also receive it are Martin McAleese, Fiach Mac Conghail, Eamon Coghlan, Katherine Zappone, Mary Ann O’Brien, Marie Louise O’Donnell and Jillian van Turnhout.
The other four Taoiseach’s nominees – Fine Gael’s Jim D’Arcy, and the Labour trio of Aideen Hayden, Lorraine Higgins and Mary Moran – were appointed in their capacities as party members and so not qualify for the payment. The other University senator, Ivana Bacik, is the leader of the Labour delegation in the Seanad and is also not entitled to the payment.
Independent TDs are entitled to a similar payment worth about €42,000 per year.
While payments are also paid in respect of TDs and Senators who are members of political parties, that money is paid directly to the party itself, on a rate which changes depending on how many members each party has.
Spending of that money is audited by the Standards in Public Office Commission in the case of political parties – but not in the case of independent TDs and Senators.
This morning’s meeting separately heard that closing the Seanad – as is proposed by the government, in a referendum to be held later this year – would result in direct savings of a little over €9 million a year.
While there would be indirect savings of €13.3 million, these might not be realised as staff currently tending to Seanad duties would be deployed elsewhere within the Oireachtas.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Sure gsoc find the gards guilty until inncoent. They dont trust them anyway
@O Hiongardail Collie: Garda don’t seem to trust Garda. Hense the growing number of whistle blowers.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: so many of them know of the criminals within but
say what you want about the guards, but of all the main stories of a member being prosecuted, the majority have been prosecuted by a fellow Garda and not GSOC. The DPP also have to make a decision. so it’s difficult to hide. GSOC seem to constantly be complaining. They should look at their own behaviour. What about the poor sergeant in Donegal who committed suicide after they failed to tell him he was clear of his complaint!
No change in the GDA force, still the same corrupt,deceitful, culture going on.
@@mdmak33: all of them?
@Patrick James Walsh: typically from Irish politicians, they set up a garda ombudman purely for show, but gave no real powers to the office. It’s all for show to make it look as if we are doing something about police curruption
If there are criminal investigations then a file is submitted to the DPP’s office for recommendations,so how is there any room for interference, usually the DPP’s office recommend prosecution and allow the courts to adjudicate when a member of the gardai is involved.
This is a cryptic message from GSOC to the public about an Garda Corruptchána. Thank you for putting us on alert, although I suspect many will not be surprised. It seems that our national police force needs to be dredged to remove the filth that has been festering all these years. Has anyone an update on the missing phones from the Maurice McCabe case?
Guards covering up for their own surely this has never & will never happen in cronyism ireland
I currently have a complaint lodged against the Garda with gsoc the investigating superintendent has so far not investigated nothing only believing the Garda with whom the complaint is lodged just because he a superintendent doesn’t mean he not corrupt
@James Wallace: GSOC have more statutory powers than Gardai actually.
@Jumanji: but yet the Gardai can and do refuse to cooperate with them?
@James Wallace: because GSOC was never intended to have any teeth, it was always supposed to be window dressing. It was introduced by Michael McDowell in 2004 as Justice minister in the teeth of opposition from Garda management and the representative bodies, and now we know why. Every Police force in the world except those in `Police states`, have some form of complaints/ombudsman procedure.
But An Garda Siochana do not see themselves as being accountable to anyone. Bizarrely the legislation allows GSOC to hand the complaints made against members back to the force to investigate themselves! it could only happen in Ireland.
Do these people not know of the maxim thou shall not be a judge of self thus they are breaking Common law
What’s new with the gardai the constitution is also a joke with them
Well in fairness, of course they can be accused of a cover up. If you want it reported to the ombudsman, then make it more than a recommendation.
That ending to Line of Duty was rubbish, so disappointing
@Patrick James Walsh: they hand it back when they deem it appropriate to be handled internally. A minor infraction not involving the public. GSOC have plenty of teeth more invasive than Garda powers. The problem is that you just expected more corruption than there is, so you lash out and call GSOC corrupt or toothless
have your say