9 September 1999 Edition
The price of democracy
BY ROBBIE MacGABHANN
At a time when many TDs are still on holidays and Leinster House is silent except for the work of some committees, the revelations under the Freedom of Information Act of deputies' expenses could not have come at a worse time.
The disclosure that TDs received £5.4 million in expenses in 1998 on top of their salaries is highly damaging for an elected assembly already suffering a huge lack of public confidence.
What was most damaging was the scale of difference between TDs even in the same constituency. For example, Fine Gael's Tom Enright in Laois Offaly took home £44,794 in expenses compared to John Moloney in the same constituency who only charged the state £28,030. In many cases, the expenses charged were greater than the actual salary paid to TDs.
The expenses claimed by Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín O Caoláin were one of the lowest for rural TDs. Only Alan Dukes was lower and he has less distance to travel to Leinster House. In a statement to An Phoblacht, O Caoláin said: ``What has been lost sight of is that the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and the Progressive Democrat parties opposed the release of this information under the Freedom of Information Act. As the sole Sinn Féin deputy, I favoured the publication of these figures. The public has a right to know how taxpayers' money is being spent.''
``It is obvious that inflated claims are being made by some TDs and Senators... The scope for abuse must be removed''.
``The other aspect of this issue is value for money. When people see, for example, the massive housing crisis with damning new figures for homelessness also issued this week, they rightly question the service being given by the majority of Oireachtas members as legislators. If we had effective government action to address the housing crisis and other examples of gross inequality in our economy, TDs' pay and expenses would not be the issue they now are.''
At a time when many TDs are still on holidays and Leinster House is silent except for the work of some committees, the revelations under the Freedom of Information Act of deputies' expenses could not have come at a worse time.
The disclosure that TDs received £5.4 million in expenses in 1998 on top of their salaries is highly damaging for an elected assembly already suffering a huge lack of public confidence.
What was most damaging was the scale of difference between TDs even in the same constituency. For example, Fine Gael's Tom Enright in Laois Offaly took home £44,794 in expenses compared to John Moloney in the same constituency who only charged the state £28,030. In many cases, the expenses charged were greater than the actual salary paid to TDs.
The expenses claimed by Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín O Caoláin were one of the lowest for rural TDs. Only Alan Dukes was lower and he has less distance to travel to Leinster House. In a statement to An Phoblacht, O Caoláin said: ``What has been lost sight of is that the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and the Progressive Democrat parties opposed the release of this information under the Freedom of Information Act. As the sole Sinn Féin deputy, I favoured the publication of these figures. The public has a right to know how taxpayers' money is being spent.''
``It is obvious that inflated claims are being made by some TDs and Senators... The scope for abuse must be removed''.
``The other aspect of this issue is value for money. When people see, for example, the massive housing crisis with damning new figures for homelessness also issued this week, they rightly question the service being given by the majority of Oireachtas members as legislators. If we had effective government action to address the housing crisis and other examples of gross inequality in our economy, TDs' pay and expenses would not be the issue they now are.''