cheap and fast ways to clean up 'allowances' and save money

radia

It has become abundantly clear over the last while that the system of allowances/expenses currently in operation is deeply flawed. The recent reforms have gone some way to improving transparency, but have not addressed the underlying problem - that politicians feel an 'entitlement' to the sums of money 'allowed', whether or not they're actually needed/used for the designated purpose in their particular case. In other words, they've become a means of personal enrichment rather than what they're intended to be: a way of recouping actual expenses incurred in undertaking the job.

This is bad for politicians and taxpayers alike. It wastes our money, and it tarnishes the reputation of politicians and by extension our country.

I propose a number of changes which could be implemented in an extremely short timeframe (up and running by the end of the summer, in time for the new term), and should both save money and go some way to cleaning up what's become a grubby little system:

Make everything vouched and publish the lot on the internet. And publish it in itemised form (not just names and totals).
No receipts = no payment.

By publishing it on the internet, it helps to find out those who may have 'borrowed' receipts from others, or procured something on someone else's behalf. (There's an interesting thread over on politics.ie where it has been noticed that the mobile phone number on Ivor Callely's controversial claims is virtually identical to the one his son has listed on his facebook page - 086 and 087 versions of the same number - which seems a remarkable coincidence.) There are plenty of people who will browse these listings for their local politicians and notice anomalies such as defunct companies. Also it means that someone will be detected if, say, they have three meetings for different purposes in a distant location around the same time and make one journey but claim mileage from three separate sources as though they'd made three journeys. It also means that we get rid of the ridiculous situation where someone can have a permanent Garda driver yet claim travel 'allowances' for journeys where they're simply paying nothing themselves. Or getting phone 'allowances' from multiple sources.

Mileage claims should be subject to periodic spot checks on car odometers. In general, people should be encouraged to use public transport (a group deal can be struck with CIE), and car mileage claims should only be entertained if public transport isn't possible/practical. So a Kerry TD might claim mileage to the nearest train station, but would be expected to take the train for the main journey to and from Dublin. This will be more productive than driving as they can get work done on the train.

Any mileage should be for the shortest route. I heard Pearse Doherty (Donegal) saying that Dinny McGinley and some other Donegal politician claim considerably more than him in mileage because they claim they drive through Sligo rather than taking the direct route. Well, they can take as scenic a route as they like, but they should only get paid for the direct route.

Overnight expenses for country TDs staying in Dublin - abolished. Instead the government strikes a bulk deal with one or more hotels and members must stay there. The government then pays the hotel directly. (The payment covers basic bed and board, not booze.) If someone doesn't stay in the hotel, no payment is due or made. So if they want to stay with friends or family that's fine, but taxpayers don't pay for it.
Or they could take a few NAMA apartments and have them as official self-catering residences - bookable in advance with a concierge to keep tabs on things - cheaper still.

'Turning up to work' payments for TDs/Senators - abolished. In case this means that people wouldn't turn up to the Dáil, people should only get paid for the days when they attend or are certified as absent on official government business. (Book signing tours don't count.) Most people only get paid when they're at work; members of the oireachtas should be no different. So if they only attend 30% of Oireachtas sessions, and their absence is not certified as having been on government business, then they only get 30% of their Oireachtas salary. Attendance registers (including certified absences and reasons) also to be published on the internet daily.

Mercs - switch to a pool, not one each. They can be booked in advance to facilitate sharing. And none for former taoisigh like Bertie. He can take the bus.

The government jet can only be used for essential government business, where cost-effective alternatives (public transport) do not exist. Using it for transport to a summer school in Donegal is insane and absolutely unjustifiable. All government jet trips should also be published on a daily basis, along with details of cost.

Pensions - payable only when person reaches pensionable age, currently 65. If it goes up to 68 or 70 for the plebs, it also rises for former oireachtas members.

Extra payments for being on committees etc. - abolished. People should be glad of the experience, which may lead to their future promotion to the front bench, and so should take on committee work with enthusiasm as a means of advancement, not for direct financial reward. Committee work is part of the job they're paid for in their overall salary, not something extra.

None of that should be complicated, and for the country as a whole I anticipate it should save significant sums. Even those politicians who couldn't care less about the country and are entirely self-serving should embrace such an initiative because:

(1) Doing so will earn credit and be politically popular.

(2) Not doing so will focus negative attention on them. ("What fiddles have they been engaged in to date?")

(3) Yes, it will mean a loss for those who have been playing the system, but they should recognise that the public mood has changed. Those days are over and aren't coming back, so they may as well make the best of things and at least pretend to be thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate how clean they are.

Thoughts? Suggestions for improvement?

Laminations

radia wrote: »

The government jet can only be used for essential government business, where cost-effective alternatives (public transport) do not exist. Using it for transport to a summer school in Donegal is insane and absolutely unjustifiable. All government jet trips should also be published on a daily basis, along with details of cost.

Someone should have told Noel Dempsey this.

Good ideas BTW, all sensible, that's unfortunately why they'll never be implemented.

oppenheimer1

Laminations wrote: »

Someone should have told Noel Dempsey this.

Good ideas BTW, all sensible, that's unfortunately why they'll never be implemented.

But then you get into issues of the actual cost. How much does it take to use the govenment jet to Derry? Is it just the fuel and landing charges? Do you include the cost of staff who are paid anyway to be on standby? Do you include depreciation of the machine that occurs whether or not the plane is in the air?

Laminations

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

But then you get into issues of the actual cost. How much does it take to use the govenment jet to Derry? Is it just the fuel and landing charges? Do you include the cost of staff who are paid anyway to be on standby? Do you include depreciation of the machine that occurs whether or not the plane is in the air?

Do you? Do you? Do you?

Do you excuse everything FF does? In an era of belt tightening the government jet is a luxury we cannot afford especially for within country trips when a driver is concurrently driving an empty state car to the same place (another luxury that should be reviewed and pooled and axed for ex-Taoisigh).

oppenheimer1

Laminations wrote: »

Do you? Do you? Do you?

Do you excuse everything FF does? In an era of belt tightening the government jet is a luxury we cannot afford especially for within country trips when a driver is concurrently driving an empty state car to the same place (another luxury that should be reviewed and pooled and axed for ex-Taoisigh).

Well you could answer the question instead of taking a swipe at me.

radia

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

But then you get into issues of the actual cost. How much does it take to use the govenment jet to Derry? Is it just the fuel and landing charges? Do you include the cost of staff who are paid anyway to be on standby? Do you include depreciation of the machine that occurs whether or not the plane is in the air?

From the point of view of this 'flight cost' pricing statement, list any extra costs that arise from using the jet: fuel, landing charges, staff costs if they're paid on a piecework basis for flying the jet (I presume they're Air Corps who spend most of their time doing other things), wear and tear from actual use...

Obviously there will be separate costs stemming from actually having the jet; they don't need to be included in the 'flight cost' here, but I suggest they should be divided among users of the jet on a pro rata basis and listed under a separate 'jet overheads' heading.

The biggest problem with the government jet, it seems to me, is again a sense of entitlement. People assume it's ok to take it for a spin up to Derry/Donegal, so they plan their schedules accordingly. If people know that at a pinch they can get somewhere in 1 hour, theyh are tempted to build their schedule on that basis and operate in such a way that they need the jet to fit in all they've planned. However, if there are clear guidelines requirements that the jet is off limits unless (a) there is no commercial airline or other means of transport (not just that other means are slower), or (b) it's a genuine crisis, then they'd have to plan their schedules more carefully.

This change requires a complete shift in mindset for our politicians.

• The government jet is not just a magic free taxi that can be used whenever you please. It actually costs money. If it is to be used, you must make a strong case for why, and you will be refused if your case is flimsy as you have no entitlement to this; it must be justified.
• "Expenses" comprise reimbursement of money that was actually and justifiably spent. Unless there is expenditure, with receipts and an explanation tying the expenditure to the necessary performance of your job as a politician, you don't get reimbursement, because this is not a source of income, just a refund of money you were required to spend in the course of your job.

Here's another thing I forgot to list above, and yet it's a really important one: Did nobody in government ever hear of teleconferencing?! The quality is really good now. Certainly, there can be reasons for wanting to attend certain meetings in person, but there's also a fair chance Dempsey needn't have gone to London at all.
Teleconferencing should always be considered as a possibity before deciding whether a trip is really necessary.

SoupyNorman

Laminations wrote: »

Someone should have told Noel Dempsey this.

I see how the Dept of Transport leaped into action to say the €100k estimate was wildly inaccurate and that the figure was closer to €15k.

Firstly, I'm not inclined to believe either side 100% so I'll estimate the cost was closer to €50k.

Secondly, how astonishing and arrogant and patronizing is it to say that even fifteen thousand euro was the cost and imply that it is ok. I would seriously have to restrain myself from pucking Dempsey in the nose if ever ever called on my door, especially as he topped it all off with saying he could not divulge the particulars of the meeting he had to attend at 7:30am.

Varadkar claimed he flew to Derry for €55 (I just checked online and it is €104 for a round trip to Dublin)

I, like many others are seriously frustrated and tired and aching...not just with FF, it really is the masses of politicians who are all a party to this. There in lies the reason to the silence en-masse, nobody can cast the first stone.

Laminations

Well let's accept fully for a second that it was €15k. That's still about €15k too much. He could have travelled in the state car that was going there empty anyway, a taxi would have cost €450 and would take 3 hrs, nit much different between flight time after airport check in etc. Ryanair make 5-6 flights from Derry to London per day from €60 so there is no excuse there. Of course ministers are now so far removed they probably think €15k isn't a large amount of money to waste in a day