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Donegal senators claim 319,000
02.09.09
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INISHOWEN-based Senator
Cecilia Keaveney has claimed the highest expenses
among Donegal's three Seanad members who, between
them, received nearly 319,000 over the last two
years.
New figures show Senator Keaveney took home 122,748
in expenses over two years on top of her basic
Seanad salary of around 70,000 per year.
Her Fianna Fαil colleague, Senator Brian O'Domhnaill
took home 109,428 in expenses since the last Seanad
was formed in July 2007 while Sinn Fιin's Senator
Pearse Doherty claimed 86,639 in the same period. |
Some of the expenses,
released under an FOI request to the Irish
Independent, can be accounted for as a result of the
senators' membership of Oireachtas committees.
Senator Keaveney is a member of the Council of
Europe, the Good Friday Agreement Implementation
Committee and the Joint Oireachtas Education and
Science Committee.
Senator O Domhnaill is a member of the Oireachtas
Education and Science committee while Senator
Doherty is a member of the Joint Committee on
European Affairs.
Senators living within 15 miles of the Seanad
receive an untaxed daily allowance of 55. This was
reduced from 61 earlier this month.
Senators living outside Dublin get an overnight
accommodation allowance of 126 a night. This was
cut back from 139. Senators also get a telephone
allowance of 3,750 and receive an annual
miscellaneous expenditure allowance of 4,112 for
which receipts need not be submitted. All three
senators were contacted yesterday by email for a
statement. Senator Keaveney declined to comment
while no reply has, as yet, been received from
Senators O Domhnaill or Doherty. |
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