PAYOUTS TOTALLING about €11 million are being made to departing TDs, Senators and their staff following the general election last February, according to the annual report of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
The estimated cost of termination pay for TDs and Senators following the election is €1.6 million in lump sums and €3.85 million in monthly termination payments over the next year. The Oireachtas pensions unit calculated the termination and pension entitlements of 76 former deputies and 23 Senators who retired or were not returned at the election.
After the election, 190 applications for early retirement, severance and redundancy payments were received from staff employed by TDs and political parties.
The cost of payouts to these staff is estimated at €5.3-€5.8 million; the exact figure is not available yet as 27 applications are still being processed. The €5.8 million sum represents a 45 per cent increase on the €4 million paid after the last election in 2007.
Employees of TDs and Senators earned up to €44,000 in overtime payments last year, the report also shows. It appears from the report that virtually all 361 staff working for politicians claimed overtime payments, with 139 claiming €10,000 or more.
The commission says the cost of running the national parliament dropped 9 per cent last year, and current spending is comparable to 2006 levels. The allocated budget for the Oireachtas was €117.8 million but through savings actual expenditure was €107.2 million.
These savings were achieved through cuts in TDs’ and Senators’ pay and allowances, a reduction in staff salaries and reduced IT and printing costs. Civil service staff numbers fell from 435 to 387.
Further savings of €7.5 million are targeted in 2011/12 under the Croke Park agreement.
Last year, the Dáil sat for 100 days and the Seanad for 97, while 61 Bills were published and almost 45,000 parliamentary questions answered.
The commission says the Oireachtas performs well when compared to other parliaments in the world. It ranks third in a comparison of 10 parliaments for total sitting days and second for total sitting hours. The length of the Dáil recess is below the international average. Irish TDs also ask more parliamentary questions than their counterparts overseas – more than three times the international average, according to the comparison.
In March 2010, a new system was introduced to replace the existing range of allowances for TDs and Senators with a single monthly payment for travel and accommodation, and a public representation allowance.
The travel allowance is calculated on the basis of 150 days’ attendance, and members must register a minimum 120 days to claim the full allowance. According to the report, all but six members achieved full attendance last year. Those who didn’t repaid €10,900 in allowances.
The report points out that 2010 saw a large number of street protests outside Leinster House. “On several occasions these protests were on a large scale, and in some cases reached a level of intimidation which was quite threatening to the property and business of the Houses.”
During one protest, an unsuccessful attempt was made to push past the gate security; the report says this incident was inaccurately reported in the media as the “parliament was stormed by protesters”.