Ring: Expenses reform will cost more than they’ll save

Ring: Expenses reform will cost more


Edwin McGreal

WESTPORT TD Michael Ring has launched a vigorous defence of his expenses figures and argued that proposed reform to the expenses system for TDs will actually cost the taxpayer more.
The Fine Gael deputy was listed in The Sunday Independent last weekend as submitting the third highest expenses of any TD in 2009, with Deputy Ring claiming a total of €86,527 for domestic expenses.
However he told The Mayo News that that figure is for expenses he incurred in 2008 and 2009 yet only submitted for payment in 2009 and stood over the validity of his expenses.
“I’m the furthest TD from the DΡil in the west of Ireland so I will have high expenses and it looks high because I have claimed for two years but other politicians haven’t submitted their claims for last year at all. These figures aren’t for the year from January to December, but based on when politicians decide to submit their claims,” Deputy Ring said, before arguing that far from expenses being abused, some politicians are being left short.
“We get an allowance of €8,000 for our office but to run an office and pay ESB and heating bills, you’ll do very well to do that for a year for €8,000. Certainly city based TDs are being massively shortchanged.”
Plans are afoot currently to reform the expenses system for TDs, which currently allow for a significant amount of unvouched expenses.
But Michael Ring argues that the proposals to bring in vouched expenses will cost more.
“There is talk of a €20,000 allowance for your office of vouched expenses. I have an office that needs a new roof. So the roof might cost €10,000. I can vouch for that so I can claim that presumably. If I vouch for my mobile phone bill and my landline as it currently is, it will be a lot more than the current allowance so they’ll get some shock.”
He argues that a system where each county is judged on its own merits would be fairer and cheaper on the taxpayer.
“At the minute I’m being lambasted for high expenses but I’m in Mayo and I’ve my expenses claim for going up and down to Dublin and staying overnight and then SeΡn Ardagh in Dublin, who can go home for his dinner and home to his own bed every night has expenses of €56,000 or so (€56,456) and that isn’t highlighted.”