While the formation of a new government continues to cause a headache for many in Irish politics, some TDs are still suffering from a 31st Dáil hangover with bar tabs of up to €800 owed to the Oireachtas.
Figures released to The Irish Times show TDs and Senators owed a combined €5,405 to the Oireachtas visitors and members bars as of February 3rd, when the 31st Dáil was dissolved. Staff have had some success in getting public representatives to settle outstanding bills but €4,000 was still owed as of March 10th, with 20 TDs and 13 Senators among the debtors.
The records are anonymised and are not broken down by party.
Unpaid tabs
Sitting Oireachtas members can avail of a tab facility when ordering drinks or bar food in Leinster House, which they can pay off later. There is no specified time limit in which unpaid tabs must be settled.
Delayed payments have been a recurring issue for Oireachtas staff who have frequently been tasked with chasing politicians to pay off bills.
The Irish Times has learned that a fifth of the outstanding bill is owed by one Oireachtas member, said to be a recently re-elected TD, whose unpaid tab is €802. Some €300 of the €4,000 figure is thought to be legacy debt owed by former members who left politics prior to the formation of the 31st Dáil and 24th Seanad in 2011.
Despite reports about deducting bills from a TD or senator’s income, no such moves have been rubber-stamped by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, which is responsible for balancing the books.
