Junior ministers 'cannot afford' to stay overnight in Dublin hotels
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A growing number of the Government's 20 junior ministers say they cannot afford to stay in Dublin overnight because of their pay rates, which is impacting on their ability to do their jobs.
Junior ministers — who are nominally paid up to €159,622 a year — are complaining they have to pay to stay in Dublin during the week, compared to TDs who receive generous allowances to cover the costs.
Reluctant to speak publicly about the issue for fear of a backlash, junior ministers from across the coalition have told the of their mounting “anger and frustration” at the cost occupying office is placing on them. One minister said:
Another said: “We’d be killed if we were to speak out about this, but it is not equitable. The truth is that the lack of overnight allowance means some of us cannot be in Dublin when we should be. It is impacting our job.”
Under the current rules, overnight allowances are stopped by the Oireachtas when a TD is appointed a junior minister.
Added to this, on foot of a policy agreed by the Cabinet, recent pay rises granted to politicians have been surrendered by ministers, meaning their effective pay is considerably lower.
TDs who have not surrendered their pay increases now earn €105,271 a year, plus very generous expenses.
Junior ministers have said that in net terms, “we would be better off as a backbench TD or a committee chair” compared to being a minister.
As a junior minister, they are entitled to two civilian drivers and mileage payable by the State at the civil service rate of 72c a mile for the first 5,500km, and 32c above that.
With hotel prices in Dublin continuing to rise, several rural ministers have said they are driving home and returning to the capital the next morning, as they “cannot afford” to stay in hotels.
Under a quirk in the system, some ministers have voiced frustration that their ministerial driver can claim for their overnight stay in Dublin during the week, but under the rules they cannot.
On taking office in 2020, members of Cabinet — including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste — as well as junior ministers decided to voluntarily surrender 10% of their combined TDs and ministerial pay, and not just the ministerial portion of their salary.
This move meant they kept their salary levels below rates that had previously applied.
TDs, especially those from those constituencies furthest away from Leinster House, can almost double their salary in expenses and allowances they receive.
They are paid what is called the Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) which covers the costs associated with travel to and from Leinster House, overnights and, for TDs only, other travel expenses including constituency travel.
The TAA is calculated on the basis of 150 days attendance at Leinster House. However, Members must register their attendance in Leinster House for at least 120 days annually to retain the full allowance. A deduction of 1% of the TAA allowance is made for each day less than 120 days attended at the end of the year or relevant period. “Ministers, Ministers of State, and the Ceann Comhairle are not entitled to claim the TAA,” the Oireachtas said.
TDs also get the Public Representative Allowance (PRA) which is a €20,350-a-year allowance TDs can use to pay their constituency office energy bills or other costs associated with working as a public representative.
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was asked for comment, but failed to respond to queries before publication.