Report re expenditure of Party Leaders Allowance (2002)

PART 3 Correspondence with parliamentary leaders

The Standards Commission wrote to the parliamentary leaders of the seven qualifying parties on 3 March 2003 requesting that they prepare, or cause to be prepared, in accordance with section 1. 10 (11) (a) of the Act, a statement of any expenditure from the annual allowance which was paid under the Act in 2001. The letter emphasised that they must provide details, under each heading, of the specific items to which the expenditure was applied. They were informed that the statement must be accompanied by an auditor's report.

The parliamentary leaders to whom the Standards Commission wrote were:

Mr. Bertie Ahern, TD, Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil.
Mr. Enda Kenny, TD, Fine Gael.
Mr. Pat Rabbitte, TD, The Labour Party.
Ms. Mary Harney, TD, The Progressive Democrats.
Mr. Trevor Sargent, TD, The Green Party.
Mr. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, TD, Sinn Féin.
Mr. Joe Higgins, TD, The Socialist Party.

The legislation provides that the person who was the parliamentary leader of a party and the person who succeeds him or her may agree in writing that a statement of expenditure from the annual allowance paid to a former parliamentary leader shall be included in the next statement of his or her successor.

Enclosed with the letter was a Statement of Expenditure of Party Leaders Allowance form (02/PLA/EFS) for completion and return to the Standards Commission by 31 March 2003. This date is not specified in the legislation. It was chosen by the Standards Commission to ensure that parliamentary leaders had adequate time to furnish the statements before 30 April 2003, having regard to the fact that section 1.10(12)(a) of the Act provides that an allowance shall not be paid unless the statement and auditor's report have been received by the Standards Commission not more than 120 days after the end of the financial year to which the statement and auditor's report relate (i.e. by 30 April).

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