Laois/Offaly TDs 2012 pay and expenses

The five Dáil members for the Laois/Offaly constituency took in a combined total of €740,000 in pay and expenses over the course of last year. The largest individual payment went to Fine Gael's Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, who received a total of €151,338.08 in 2012. This consisted of €58,66.08 in vouched expenses, along with the standard TDs salary of €92,672. Expenses are paid to every TD in the form of a monthly Parliamentary Standard Allowance (PSA) which is designed to cover travel and office costs. Deputies Barry Cowen (FF) and Brian Stanley (SF) earned a total of €150,222.08 each last year. Fine Gael's Deputy Charlie Flanagan received a total of €148,722.08, while Seán Fleming (FF) had the lowest payment in the constituency, at €139,522.04. The expenses paid to Deputy Fleming were unvouched, while the four other TDs claimed vouched expenses. Politicians on the vouched system are required to keep receipts of their spending. TDs who claim unvouched expenses are not required to do so, but are paid less. The travel and accommodation costs given to TDs are based on the distance between their home and Leinster House. A Deputy living between 90 and 120 kilometres from the Dáil is entitled to an annual travel and accommodation payment of €31,850. Nationally, the Fine Gael TD for Cork South West, Noel Harrington, received the largest sum in expenses (€63,550) due to the distance of over 360km between his home and the Dáil.