21/06/07 - Report on expenditure of the Party Leaders Allowance (2006)

Part 2 - Increases to allowance during 2006 and current rates of payment

Section 11A of the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 1938 (as inserted by the Ministerial, Parliamentary and Judicial Offices and Oireachtas Members (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2001) provides that payments made under the Party Leaders Allowance shall increase in line with general Civil Service pay increases. Accordingly, payments made under the Party Leaders Allowance were increased on 1 June 2006 by 2.5% (under "Sustaining Progress") and on 1 December 2006 by 3% (under "Towards 2016").

In addition, section 8A of the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 1938 (as inserted by section 11 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act 1973) provides that the Government may, by order, increase the payments made under the Party Leaders Allowance. The Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Allowances and Salaries) (Increase) Order of 13 December 2005 (SI No. 807 of 2005) made provision for the allowances to increase by 3.75% with effect from 1 January 2006. This increase reflects a pay increase awarded under Report No 40 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector.

As of 31 December 2006 the allowance paid to parliamentary party leaders in respect of members of Dáil Éireann is €66,739 per member for each of the first10 members elected, €53,390 per member for each member elected from 11 to 30 members and €26,703 for each member elected over 30 members. (The original amounts provided for in the Act were €48,547, €38,837 and €19,423, respectively)

As of 31 December 2006 the allowance paid to parliamentary party leaders in respect of members of the Seanad is €43,639 per member elected or nominated for each of the first five members and €21,821 for each member elected or nominated over 5 members. (The original amounts provided for in the Act were €31,743 and €15,872 respectively).

Details of payments made to the qualifying party leaders in respect of 2006 are provided in Table 1 below.

As of 31 December 2006, non-party members of Dáil Éireann receive an allowance of €38,401 while non-party members of Seanad Éireann receive an allowance of €21,821. (The original amounts provided in the Act were €27,934 and €15,872, respectively). The total amount paid to non-party members of Dáil Éireann during 2006 was €514,158. The total amount paid to non-party members of Seanad Éireann was €104,970. Non-party members of Dáil or Seanad Éireann are not required to furnish to the Standards Commission a Statement of Expenditure in relation to the allowance.

In accordance with section 1.10(6) of the Act, none of the above allowances are subject to income tax.

Back to contents