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Mr Charlie McCreevy
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The Minister for Finance Mr McCreevy today published a Bill which will allow tighter control of the allowance provided to all leaders of parliamentary parties.
The new Bill obliges party leaders to prepare a statement of expenditure from the allowance. They must also have this statement audited by a public auditor and furnish both the statement and audited accounts to the Public Offices Commission.
The Bill also provides for a revision of the calculation of the allowance as currently set out in the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act.
Under existing legislation the size of each leader's allowance is determined by the number of Dáil deputies elected as members of that party in the preceding general election or a subsequent by-election.
The Bill also provides for arrangements to come into effect on the dissolution of a parliamentary party where another parliamentary party acquires by agreement all its members.