SINN Féin TDs, Pearse
Doherty and Padraig MacLochlainn will meet the
Oireachtas Commission today to clarify how they
spend their travel expenses.
The meeting comes after the 'Irish Independent'
today published an article saying the Donegal SF TDs
were breaking Oireachtas rules by paying activists
out of cash claimed for travel expenses. Unspent
travel expenses are supposed to be returned.
The Sinn Féin TDs said they published constituency
accounts and showed that they used some of their
allowances to "take people off social welfare and
employ them in their constituencies".
“I have been totally transparent about this and
published it on my website months ago,” Deputy
Doherty said today.
“A question has now been raised about the
appropriateness of this use of the allowance, so
myself and Padraig MacLochlainn are meeting the
Oireachtas Commission today.
“If there is any irregularity, we will rectify it.
The Travel and Accommodation Allowance is an
automatic payment based on elected representatives’
attendance at Leinster House. The money was used in
good faith.” |
