My Expenses

About a week ago I did a extended interview on Highland Radio in relation to Oireachtas members expenses. The interview followed the publication of TD’s and Senators expenses that were paid to them since the new Dáil and Seanad term began in 2007.

Of the five TD’s (excluding our Tanaiste) and our three Senators in Donegal I had claimed the least in expenses. Claiming over €100,000 less that Deputy Blaney and over €90,000 less that Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley for the same period. While the difference was not as big when you looked at the Senators claims it still showed my claim to be over €36,000 less that Cecelia Keaveney’s claim and over €22,000 less that Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill's expense claim.

I have stated many times that it is my view that TD’s, Senators, Junior Ministers and Ministers are over paid and that their expenses are inflated. Both the Salary and the expenses should be cut substantially.

Following this recent interview I have decided to publish on this Blog a full list of the expenses and allowances that were paid to me by the Oireachtas during the first 6 months of 2009. I have also published details of where that money was spent over the same 6 months.

The public should not have to wait for this information to be printed in our national newspapers instead the details should be released as a matter of course by the Oireachtas. However until such a time I intend to publish my accounts on this Blog each 6 month.

You will see from the table below that the amount of expenses and allowances paid to me for the first 6 months of 2009 was €19,701.95 and the expenses incurred by me was €32,527.55 for the same period. This leaves a shortfall of €12,825.60 which is paid from my salary that I receive as a Senator.




Allowances paid: (1st Jan 09 – 30th June 09)

Committee Allowance:.........................€ 5,000.00
Specified Position Allowance:................€ 0,000.00
Total (Allowances)...........................€ 5,000.00

Expenses paid: (1st Jan 09 – 30th June 09)

Miscellaneous Expenses Allowance.........€2,056.32
Telephone Allowance...........................€2,380.76
Special Secretarial Allowance................€0.00
Mobile Phone Claims............................€0.00
Travel and Subsistence.......................€10,264.87
Committee Travel...............................€0.00

Inter-Parliamentary travel....................€0.00

British Irish Body.................................€0.00
Total (Expenses)..............................€14,701.95


Total Allowances & Expenses...€19,701.95



Expenses Incurred (1st Jan 09 – 30th June 09)

Staff Wages costs..................................€12,973.48
Travel and Subsistence..........................€ 4,430.74
Accommodation....................................€ 3,783.58
Constituency Office Rent.......................€ 1,200.00
Mobile Phone........................................€ 2,504.48
Sinn Féin Donation...............................€ 2,050.00
Bank Charges........................................€ 140.12
ESB (Office)..........................................€ 977.00
Revenue commissioners.........................€ 1,050.00
Sponsorship (Local)..............................€ 958.37
Room Hire............................................€ 296.85
Water Rates..........................................€ 234.45
Stationary.............................................€ 402.32
Office Maintenance...............................€ 495.85
Website.................................................€ 30.31

Total expenses incurred.............€31,527.55

What might have happened?

What might have happened?

The options that Taoiseach Jack Lynch faced forty years ago this month are very similar to the options that Pádraig Pearse faced fifty three years before. Both men had charge of an army that was greatly inferior to the British Army. On both occasions Britain occupied our country or a section of it. And both periods saw Britain’s armed police force involved in attacking nationalist communities while cultural, educational, housing and employment rights were been denied.

The difference between these two men and the paths they chose was that one was a hero, the other a coward. One defended Irish citizens, the other abandoned them. Ones decision led to the freedom of the 26 counties from British rule the other left young men and women who were ill equipped, poorly trained and with no experience or expertise to defend nationalist communities and wage a war with the British army, a war that thirty years later the British acknowledged that they could not win.

Who knows what may have happened if Lynch gave the order. But if Pearse didn’t give the order would anyone today believed that, if he did, within five years that the 26 counties would have secured its freedom from Britain?