TDs and Senators have defended their expenses claims as details of monthly payments were published on the Oireachtas website today.
Travel, accommodation and constituency costs were published for the first time in a drive to make the system more transparent.
PJ Sheehan, Fine Gael TD for Cork South West, was the biggest claimant for March and April, receiving almost €5,300 each month.
"Somebody has to come out on top of the list and this scheme shows that the person with the greatest distance to travel has come out on top," he said.
The biggest unvouched claim was made by Fianna Fáil TD and former ceann comhairle John O'Donoghue, who claimed more than €4,340 per month.
The Kerry South representative, who stood down as speaker in October over his ministerial expense claims, insisted he had no problem with the payouts being published online.
"All I'm getting is my entitlement. It relates to the distance you are from the Dáil and I'm one of the furthest away."
Mr O’Donoghue said his decision to opt for unvouched expenses was not a calculated one. “I don’t think there was any particular reason. I just went the way I went. I’m here all the time - every day it’s sitting plus additional days, and I make the journey sometimes two or three times a week," he said.
Oireachtas officials have said the monthly disclosure, which comes after the introduction of a new attendance-based expenses system, would improve accountability and increase public confidence.
Figures for the Seanad show Fianna Fáil's Ivor Callely returned a cheque for almost €4,000 in March. The Dublin senator handed back the money amid criticism for claiming more than €80,000 in
expenses after citing his main address as west Cork.
Donegal South West Senator Brian O'Domhnaill clocked up the highest expenses in the Seanad, with a monthly claim of €3,925.50.
The Fianna Fáil representative, who runs two offices in his constituency, said he was fully in favour of publishing payouts online.
"The old system was open to exploitation, there's no doubt about that, and I agree with the vouching of expenses based on receipts," he said. "I certainly welcome the publication of the information - people are obviously going to be judged then on their attendance records and I think that's a good thing.
"People should know whether their TD or Senator is in there representing them."
Dublin Independent Senator David Norris - whose expenses claim of €1,354 was among the lowest in the Seanad - said the online list did not make for entertaining reading.
"Taxpayers deserve to know but I think what it will do is bore us to death. It's not just about the money, it's what's done for it. I wish they would put a chip on my leg so that Irish people know how much work we're doing."
PA