Lenihan promises transparent system of expenses

A REVISED “transparent, verifiable and cost-effective system of parliamentary expenses” will be announced before the budget next month and introduced from January 1st, according to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan.

He told the Dáil that “expenses generally have been reduced by 10 per cent and mileage rates reduced by 25 per cent”, which had resulted in “very substantial reductions” in expenses since the summer.

The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission had proposed that a single composite allowance based on attendance be introduced, “but no verification mechanism was proposed for attendance. I’m not satisfied in regard to all expenses that attendance of itself verifies the incurring of the expense”. And even in the context of such a composite allowance or “block grant, a total absence of verification is not an adequately transparent system to carry the public confidence that must be carried in any system of expense”, Mr Lenihan stated.

Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton welcomed the decision being announced before the budget “because the credibility of the entire House will be on the line unless we’re shown to be able to reform the way we operate ourselves”.

But he warned that Ministers’ allowances for their own ministerial offices “needs to be significantly curbed”. He said “there will be an expectation that adjustments will be greater by those who hold ministerial office and have greater access to support and I think that would be a fair expectation of a system of reform”.

He said “the Government must be seen to lead by example in this field” and “the size of ministerial offices, working for constituency purposes, should be controlled among office holders. Ministers drawing cash allowance in lieu of secretarial assistance should be discontinued”, and he added that the Minister would “share my dismay at reports of cases where the purposes for which allowances are being deployed don’t appear to be following proper criteria”.

But Mr Lenihan said “I don’t necessarily accept the assumption on that.”

The Minister added: “I will take into account [what] the deputy has said and I do agree whatever is adopted has to be equally applied to Ministers.”