Kilkenny TDs get nearly €4,000 each in expenses for month in which Dáil sat for one day

TDs for Kilkenny/Carlow received over €25,000 between them in expenses for the month of December alone, a month in which the Dáil sat once. 

Details of the unvouched Parliamentary Standard Allowance (PSA) payments from December have been published. They show that TDs received €567,000 in expenses automatically for the month, having sat in the Dáil once. 

The Dáil sat on December 18 to elect Verona Murphy to the role of Ceann Comhairle. It did not sit again until January 22 when the election of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach was derailed over the speaking time row.

The Parliamentary Standard Allowance is an annual allowance paid automatically monthly to members of the Oireachtas, on top of their €113,000 a year salary. The PSA is made up of the Travel and accommodation allowance (TAA) and public representation allowance (PRA).

The public representation allowance covers costs associated with members’ work as public representatives — such as office rental and leaflet printing.

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The figures released this week show TDs for Kilkenny/Carlow Peter 'Chap' Cleere, John McGuinness and Natasha Newsome Drennan, each received €4168.25, while Catherine Callaghan received €4084.58 and Jennifer Murnane O' Connor received €3972.08.

TDs are entitled to claim between €9,000 and €34,065 a year in travel and accommodation expenses, depending on the distance between their home and the Dáil with different bands based on distance to the Dáil set out. 

John McGuinness and Natasha Newsome Drennan are in band 4 for the TAA payment while Catherine Callagahan is in band 3 and Peter 'Chap' Cleere and Jennifer Murnane O'Connor are in band 2. 

TDs must register their attendance in the Dáil on 120 days to claim the full rate of Parliamentary Standard Allowance.