Richard Boyd Barrett - Expenses

Chazz Michael Michaels

Richard Boyd Barrett claims €12,000 for car repairs and travelling 12km to Dail

Richard Boyd Barrett: lives just 12km from the Dail


Thursday October 18 2012

130 Comments
PEOPLE Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett is using taxpayers' money to pay for repairing his car.

The left-wing TD has been a strident critic of Government cutbacks and this week challenged Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dail over the reduction in home-help hours.

But he has confirmed that he claimed €12,000 last year in expenses for travelling to the Dail from his home in Glenageary, in his Dun Laoghaire constituency -- a distance of just 12km.

He said he used the full amount for travel expenses -- including his car-repair bills.

"First of all, my car had to be repaired several times because I use it so much. I travel sometimes twice a day back and forth from Dun Laoghaire," said Mr Boyd Barrett.

According to the Leinster House sources, the TD is allowed to have his car repair costs included in his travel expenses. Under the rules, TDs are entitled to take a number of other travel costs into account, besides fuel.

These include oil, tyres, insurance, car tax, driving licence, AA membership and maintenance, such as car repairs.

Mr Boyd Barrett told Newstalk's 'Breakfast Show' he recognised that the €12,000 payment for travel to the Dail and around his constituency was an "overly generous allowance".

Unlike rural TDs, Dublin-based TDs do not have to use their €12,000 'travel and accommodation allowance' to pay for hotel accommodation because they live close to the Dail.

Mr Barrett said he only took less than the average industrial wage from his €92,000 Dail salary for this reason.

"Ordinary workers wouldn't get that kind of support for their travel and subsistence," he said.

Mr Boyd Barrett takes around €24,000 per year, after tax, for his personal use.

This means that he is accepting a gross salary of around €29,000 out of his €92,000 TD's salary.

Salary

But rather than giving the remainder of his salary back to the taxpayer, he donates it to the People before Profit group, the anti-household tax campaign, the Save our Seafront campaign in Dun Laoghaire and the campaign to keep the 24-hour A&E department in Loughlinstown Hospital.

TDs do not have to provide any proof of their individual mileage or travel costs -- although they do have to turn up to the Dail for 120 days in the year in order to claim their full expenses.

Those living within 25km of the Dail receive €12,000 per year tax-free and this rises to €37,000 per year if they live more than 360km away.

- Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor

Socialists with other peoples money as usual costing the state 92,000 per annum.


There is a very good bus and dart service from Glenageary to Dublin.


People before profit :rolleyes:

walshb

It's a cliche that has been said time and time again, but something is not right!

ednwireland

snout in the trough just like the rest, you know you try and vote for different candidates and they just end up as the same old same old

he shouldnt get anything for driving in and out of work

Godge

The Dun Laoghaire constituency has a very good public transport network with Dublin Bus, Luas, DART, Commuter rail and Aircoach all available.

By way of comparison an annual bus, dart and luas ticket would cost €1,900, with a tax saving of €589 giving a net cost of €1,313 if he is a lower rate taxpayer. If he is a higher-rate taxpayer the savings are greater.

a long way short of €12,000.

studiorat

Is Richie still a Mod?

Death and Taxes

Another patronizing Champagne and caviar socialist!
A poor little rich boy who so knows what the plebs really need.
I for one am not surprised , especially after what he did to Mary Ryan!

hyperborean

do you know what bothers me about the holier than though bull that pre variates this forum is the fact that they usual cannot show me a righteous alternative.

Wafflers the lot of ye's








apart from scofflaw of course

Dob74

Chazz Michael Michaels wrote: »

Richard Boyd Barrett claims €12,000 for car repairs and travelling 12km to Dail

Richard Boyd Barrett: lives just 12km from the Dail


Thursday October 18 2012

130 Comments
PEOPLE Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett is using taxpayers' money to pay for repairing his car.

The left-wing TD has been a strident critic of Government cutbacks and this week challenged Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dail over the reduction in home-help hours.

But he has confirmed that he claimed €12,000 last year in expenses for travelling to the Dail from his home in Glenageary, in his Dun Laoghaire constituency -- a distance of just 12km.

He said he used the full amount for travel expenses -- including his car-repair bills.

"First of all, my car had to be repaired several times because I use it so much. I travel sometimes twice a day back and forth from Dun Laoghaire," said Mr Boyd Barrett.

According to the Leinster House sources, the TD is allowed to have his car repair costs included in his travel expenses. Under the rules, TDs are entitled to take a number of other travel costs into account, besides fuel.

These include oil, tyres, insurance, car tax, driving licence, AA membership and maintenance, such as car repairs.

Mr Boyd Barrett told Newstalk's 'Breakfast Show' he recognised that the €12,000 payment for travel to the Dail and around his constituency was an "overly generous allowance".

Unlike rural TDs, Dublin-based TDs do not have to use their €12,000 'travel and accommodation allowance' to pay for hotel accommodation because they live close to the Dail.

Mr Barrett said he only took less than the average industrial wage from his €92,000 Dail salary for this reason.

"Ordinary workers wouldn't get that kind of support for their travel and subsistence," he said.

Mr Boyd Barrett takes around €24,000 per year, after tax, for his personal use.

This means that he is accepting a gross salary of around €29,000 out of his €92,000 TD's salary.

Salary

But rather than giving the remainder of his salary back to the taxpayer, he donates it to the People before Profit group, the anti-household tax campaign, the Save our Seafront campaign in Dun Laoghaire and the campaign to keep the 24-hour A&E department in Loughlinstown Hospital.

TDs do not have to provide any proof of their individual mileage or travel costs -- although they do have to turn up to the Dail for 120 days in the year in order to claim their full expenses.

Those living within 25km of the Dail receive €12,000 per year tax-free and this rises to €37,000 per year if they live more than 360km away.

- Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor

Socialists with other peoples money as usual costing the state 92,000 per annum.


There is a very good bus and dart service from Glenageary to Dublin.


People before profit :rolleyes:

Not a fan of rbb. But this article is nothing more than but a personal attack by
A right wing newspaper on a left wing .td.
What expenses do the other ads get in dun l?
Tds expanses are to high boyd barrett does not set the rates

thebman

Dob74 wrote: »

Not a fan of rbb. But this article is nothing more than but a personal attack by
A right wing newspaper on a left wing .td.
What expenses do the other ads get in dun l?
Tds expanses are to high boyd barrett does not set the rates

Doesn't matter, he is the one claiming to be the one honest guy standing against the man.

Turns out he is just one of them.

Dob74

thebman wrote: »

Doesn't matter, he is the one claiming to be the one honest guy standing against the man.

Turns out he is just one of them.

I find nothing wrong with claiming expenses, in a system where the rules are decided by someone else.
To me the spindo is just having a go at a leftwing td.
There is nothing dishonest in rbb actions.

It shows why Dennis o'brien's ownership of newstalk and independent newspapers must be looked at.
Too much power in one person's hands.

donaghs

Dob74 wrote: »

I find nothing wrong with claiming expenses, in a system where the rules are decided by someone else.
To me the spindo is just having a go at a leftwing td.
There is nothing dishonest in rbb actions.

It shows why Dennis o'brien's ownership of newstalk and independent newspapers must be looked at.
Too much power in one person's hands.

I'm no fan of Boyd Barrett, think he's a useless waffler. But, in the context of what goes on in Irish politics, this a bit of a non-story. All he did was claim the expenses he was entitled too, and only in relation to his car.

Compared to what the rest of them do with expsenses and salary, and other stroke politics, I don't think there's much to see here.

Dannyboy83

My heart is torn.

Richieboy didn't do anything other than claim what he is entitled to, but it does undermine his arguments.

A bit like Aengus o Slowdaigh claiming to accept only the Average Industrial Wage, but then topping up with printer cartridges.

He only takes around 24,000, OR he takes the lot and says only 24k is for personal use?

I wonder. :rolleyes:

Dannyboy83

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

My heart is torn.

Richieboy didn't do anything other than claim what he is entitled to, but it does undermine his arguments.

A bit like Aengus o Slowdaigh claiming to accept only the Average Industrial Wage, but then topping up with printer cartridges.

Aengus O' Snodaigh takes the full dail salary, the same as every other SF'er. What he does with it is his own business, but he takes the lot.

Zulu

As a self employed person, does this mean I can now claim car servicing, tyres & repairs as a legitimate business expense?

JustinDee

We can see the worst of the Irish mindset in the moral relativist. "Not as bad as the others . . . etc".

The point is a politician who claims to be against bureaucracy, waste, overspending, tilt in society and such likes, claims €12,000 per annum for expenses such as travel etc, despite only living in Glenageary, an area served by bus, DART and even near enough to town to flipping well cycle to work.
No wonder he is against austerity.

As usual, the loudest turn out to be of the ilk they bemoan.

20Cent

Maybe his duties as a TD involve more than just driving to and from the Dail.
Justsayin....

JonathanAnon

Rich Boy Barrett pulling 12k for travel expenses is an attack on the working classes... Well that's what he would say anyway..

Chazz Michael Michaels

20Cent wrote: »

Maybe his duties as a TD involve more than just driving to and from the Dail.
Justsayin....

Such as?

20Cent

Chazz Michael Michaels wrote: »

Such as?

Traveling to meetings all around the country.

Chazz Michael Michaels

20Cent wrote: »

Traveling to meetings all around the country.

Such as?

20Cent

Chazz Michael Michaels wrote: »

Such as?

I don't know his whole schedule but I think its reasonable to assume a TD will be required to travel a bit around the country for various reasons meeting etc. If your contention is that they don't fair enough, but its not very realistic.

ArmaniJeanss

Chazz Michael Michaels wrote: »

Such as?

Trips to Constituency offices, council offices, hospitals, garda stations. Nightly community meetings in an estates local centre or parish hall, trips to youth clubs and sports club re facilities.
Various trips as part of the work relating to whichever Dail sub-committes he's on.

I'm no fan of RBB but its garbage to suggest his work commute is 'Glenegeary -> Dail -> Glenegeary'.

mike65

What's the price of an annual bus ticket for Dublin Bus? ditto LUAS.

0ph0rce0

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Aengus O' Snodaigh takes the full dail salary, the same as every other SF'er. What he does with it is his own business, but he takes the lot.

He takes the full salary but most of it goes to SF Party and he is paid just over €500 a week just like every person in SF.

Rebelkell

RBB takes his full salary of 92k. He chooses to spend a large amount of it on the People before profit party. Thats fine but he still takes the salary

jackofalltrades

To put this into perspective, for €12,000 you could run the average taxi without a radio for a year. And their average mileage is 36,000 miles.

So unless he's doing a serious amount of travelling in his constituency, he's completely got his head in the trough.

guttenberg

What was wrong with his car? for that amount of money you could buy a decent 3-4 year old family saloon!

ResearchWill

This came out ages ago when RBB was attacked in the Dail chamber about his expences. The situation is for a Dublin based TD travel expences is €12k a year unvouched. He has two choices either take €0 for his travel or take €12k. If I remember correctly he uses the money to run his office. It just highlights the stupid situation of unvouched expences. In fact the headline should read all Dublin TD's get €12k a year travel expences.

"The annual travel amounts range from €12,000 for Dublin-based deputies to €37,850 for those living 360km (224 miles) or more from Leinster House."

From http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0607/1224317443403.html

To make it worse a annual train ticket from Cork would cost about €3k, I know for a fact a number of the Cork TD's use that method of travel, yet claim close to the maximum.

Richard Hillman

Ive seen him many a time getting the Dart into the City Center. I didnt even know he had a car.

OneWayBet

Zulu wrote: »

As a self employed person, does this mean I can now claim car servicing, tyres & repairs as a legitimate business expense?

Err, yes as long as these expenses are incurred wholely and exclusively in connection with your trade (or apportioned on a reasonable basis in the case of mixed usage). I suggest you get yourself some tax advice like RBB did

ResearchWill

OneWayBet wrote: »

Err, yes as long as these expenses are incurred wholely and exclusively in connection with your trade (or apportioned on a reasonable basis in the case of mixed usage). I suggest you get yourself some tax advice like RBB did

That's the worst thing about this RBB did not need to get tax advice all TD's close to the Dail get €12k even if they walk to the Dail.

Hotblack Desiato

^ He's not obliged to claim it. Especially if he claims to be against unjust enrichment of the privileged :rolleyes:

This stuff about supposedly righteous TDs only taking X amount of their salary makes me want to puke. The rest is going to fund their political movements, in other words helping their chances of re-election therefore keeping them firmly on the gravy train.

OneWayBet

There are two issues at stake here:

1. The system.

Generous tax free unvouched allowances/expenses. I suppose the allowance is intended for people who need to travel a lot to pander to their constituents but 1k per month on motor expenses is obviously excessive especially in an urban terrain.

2. RBB Moral High Ground.

In some respects I admire RBB, JH etc. for working hard in their political career supposedly in return for the average ind. wage. However the overriding feeling I have is that in reality they are drawing down just about everything they are entitled to (like all the others) and spending the money on projects close to their heart. Some people like to buy flash cars and houses, others like to donate to the ULA - each to their own but I would have a lot more respect for RBB, JH, SF etc if they gave back the balance of their salaries back to the exchequer.

jackofalltrades

ninja900 wrote: »

This stuff about supposedly righteous TDs only taking X amount of their salary makes me want to puke. The rest is going to fund their political movements, in other words helping their chances of re-election therefore keeping them firmly on the gravy train.

I look forward to seeing all these TD's, who only take the average industrial wage, living on the average industrial pension when they retire. And only claiming it when the average Irish person does. Such is their solidarity with the average Irish person.

Two chances of that though:rolleyes:, they'll be living it up like the "fat cats" they complain about ad nauseum.

20Cent

OneWayBet wrote: »

There are two issues at stake here:

1. The system.

Generous tax free unvouched allowances/expenses. I suppose the allowance is intended for people who need to travel a lot to pander to their constituents but 1k per month on motor expenses is obviously excessive especially in an urban terrain.

2. RBB Moral High Ground.

In some respects I admire RBB, JH etc. for working hard in their political career supposedly in return for the average ind. wage. However the overriding feeling I have is that in reality they are drawing down just about everything they are entitled to (like all the others) and spending the money on projects close to their heart. Some people like to buy flash cars and houses, others like to donate to the ULA - each to their own but I would have a lot more respect for RBB, JH, SF etc if they gave back the balance of their salaries back to the exchequer.

They can't, there is no mechanism for a TD to do that.

Ellis Dee

Maybe it's just me, but my phoniness alarm always starts beeping when someone with a double-barrel name does a lot of left-wing posturing.:rolleyes:

On the other hand, it could be the voters' fault for sending someone decent to a place where he has a high likelihood of being corrupted - namely the Dail - no matter how hard he tries to fight against it.:)

He should use the DART to get from his home to the Dail. If more politicians used public transport for long enough, there would certainly be necessary improvements in that sector. And if they had to drive normal-sized cars around the country, the pot holes might be repaired.:D

dvpower

20Cent wrote: »

They can't, there is no mechanism for a TD to do that.

Writing a cheque made out to the Minister for Finance would do it.