Allowances are available to cover the establishment of constituency offices, mobile phones, telephone and postal costs, graphic design and security measures.
Constituency office establishment allowance
Members of Dáil Éireann are elected by voters in a constituency to represent that constituency in Leinster House. All TDs are provided with an office and facilities in Leinster House which enable them to carry out the work necessary to fulfil their role as legislators and constituency representatives while in Dublin. If a TD chooses to have an office presence in his or her own constituency they can reclaim some of the costs associated with setting up that office. This is called the constituency office establishment allowance.
Under regulation 11 of SI 84/2010 a Member of Dáil Éireann is eligible for an allowance if they incur expenses in establishing and equipping accommodation for their secretarial or parliamentary assistant elsewhere than in Leinster House for the purpose of the Member’s parliamentary duties.
This allowance may not be claimed by Senators.
The sum of €8,000 is the maximum amount that may be claimed in final settlement of the expenses following submission of the completed application form detailing all the expenditure incurred for the Constituency Office Establishment Allowance.
Members' mobile phone direct purchase scheme
This scheme allows Members to buy a mobile phone and car kit from a provider of their choice and claim back the cost of the equipment to a maximum of €750 in an 18-month period. The costs covered include one mobile phone, car kit, installation costs and insurance subject to an application with receipts and proof of expenditure (by credit card receipt, extract from bank statement or bank processed cheque) for all the expenditure incurred. Proof of purchase and payment should confirm that the purchase and payment was made by the Member. Ministers and Ministers of State are not eligible for this scheme.
Security requirements allowance
A Member may claim, on a reimbursement basis, the full costs of security requirements (up to a maximum), as advised by their local crime prevention officer. This will allow Members to enhance their own personal security, the security of their staff, and their home and office.
An amount of €25,000 is the maximum amount to be made available. Members will receive a reimbursement of 100% of their costs, up to a maximum of €25,000.
Members may make multiple claims for reimbursement, up to the maximum amount of €25,000. If a Member rents an office or offices, once the crime prevention officer security review is completed, it is recommended that Members discuss any potential works/improvements with their landlord in advance. The maximum amount a Member will receive is €25,000 in total across all premises.
A Member must pay for the works and equipment, prior to submitting a claim form, accompanied by invoices, to the One Stop Shop. Once the One Stop Shop has checked the claim form and associated documents, the reimbursement can be processed, and payment is made to the Member. Invoices must be accompanied by receipts and proofs of payment in the Member’s name. No reimbursement will issue to a third party.
Documentation submitted to the One Stop Shop, other than the claim form, will be returned to the Member as they may be required as guarantees, warranties, etc., on equipment installed or works completed. A copy of the claim form will be returned. The report of the crime prevention officer will also be returned to a Member and no copies will be retained by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service. The report of the crime prevention officer must accompany all claims for reimbursement.
The allowance is available on an equal basis to all Members of the Oireachtas, regardless of House or the position they hold. A checklist and form are available from the One Stop Shop.
Graphic design allowance
The current annual provision for the outsourcing of graphic design work, as agreed by the Commission, is €398.23 per Member.
An allocation is made to each party/group based on the number of members. Expenditure is considered on a party/group basis i.e., each Member does not have to spend €398.23, but rather the overall amount spent must not exceed the total party/group allocation in any given year (1 October to 30 September).
Guidelines in relation to the printing of appropriate material apply and are available from One Stop Shop, LH2000 or on 01 6184693.
Telephone and postal facilities within Leinster House
The Regulations provide for free telephone and postal facilities available from Leinster House. Under SI 149/2013 the postal facilities allowances of pre-paid envelopes per month are 625 for TDs and 375 for Senators.
In addition, Members holding certain specified positions, e.g., chairpersons of Oireachtas committees have additional telephone allowances paid quarterly.
Once-off payment in respect of travel costs at dissolution
For TDs, on dissolution, a once-off payment in respect of travel costs to return to the constituency within three days. The rate of the payment of travelling facilities for these purposes is based on the actual mileage at the prevailing lower rate (currently 28.87 cents per km) as stipulated by the Department of Finance.
Last updated: 27 November 2024