Houses of Oireachtas staff get allowances up to €35,000

Four staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas received performance related bonuses worth around €10,000 in total last year, while some staff received allowances of as much as €35,000.

The annual report from the Houses said the payments were made in “recognition of exceptional performance”, and the total payout was €10,330.

Although the average payout would be around €2,500, no detailed breakdown was provided in the report.

The duties for which the bonuses were paid were not outlined either.

It also detailed a number of allowances made to staff, such as €65,297 in “seniority allowances and special service payments” to 36 people.

Some 43 people also received “higher, special or additional duties allowance”, with seven receiving €10,000 or more and the highest payout coming in at €19,585.

The accounts also show that 50 people received “other allowances”, with three getting over €10,000, with a highest payment of €35,137.

Overtime was paid out to 209 people, with 61 getting over €10,000. The maximum overtime payment was €28,000.

Further “shift and roster allowances” were paid to 71 people, with the highest payout of these allowances at €7,578.

Nine former civil servants were re-hired by the Houses of the Oireachtas on a fee basis at a total cost of €106,004.75.