Poor junior ministers on €130,000 a year cant afford hotels.

Sheep breeder

Two of the ministers complaining are wexicans and not to far away from Dublin and half their voters travel to Dublin every day to work and return home.
Talk about double standards for the upper power.

Huntergonzo

In fairness the public does an awful lot of complaining about things like this but sweet fa in actually doing something about it.

Look, why not get up off your hole, get elected to the Dail and then cut your own salary by say 50%? People are mad keen to cut their own wages don't you know.

meeeeh

Kyrie Obnoxious Collie wrote: »

Unvouched expenses is not unusual in either public or private sector jobs where expense have a daily rate or set amount for an expense.

As an example I claim a dinner rate of 60 euro for all my dinners when I travel but sometimes I might eat in McDonald’s for a 10er. I don’t have to produce a receipt as I’m using approved expense rates.



As above everyone doesn’t need receipts. I know lots of people who travel for work who don’t have to produce receipts for everything (myself included). Some get a set amount per day regardless of what they spend (usually a high figure which comfortably leaves money over after covering expenses) others need to keep receipts for somethings (taxis say) but not other things.

Public service subsistence rates would never get you to the amount td's can claim unvouched. The rates are extremely generous. I don't mind if Td's claim expenses but I don't buy the whole constituency thing, especially for ministers. For a minister their responsibilities should be to the state and not to deal with the stuff local councils should be dealing with. Government is situated in Dublin and that's where their place of work is. I would make some allowances for the fact that position is more precarious but about it.

Surely a country should want the best ministers it can get. If there aren't expenses, you're limiting yourself to people who live close.

Wheeliebin30

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Is it 60 for when you travel?

Yes anytime I have to go somewhere other than my normal place of work be it around Ireland or abroad. There are set rates for breakfast, lunch and dinner which I can claim or I can put in a receipt. It’s almost always better to claim the rate as it’s nromally very generous, they are designed to cover all the other bits and pieces like snacks, bottles of water etc also that if you opt for fully vouched expenses (which you can if you want) you have to collect every receipt no matter how small in order to get all your spending reimbursed.

60 was a rough example the rate varies between cities and countries. Hotels and flights we have people to book for us so don’t need to have pay and get receipts either.

meeeeh wrote: »

Public service subsistence rates would never get you to the amount td's can claim unvouched. The rates are extremely generous. I don't mind if Td's claim expenses but I don't buy the whole constituency thing, especially for ministers. For a minister their responsibilities should be to the state and not to deal with the stuff local councils should be dealing with. Government is situated in Dublin and that's where their place of work is. I would make some allowances for the fact that position is more precarious but about it.

Yes but TDs are the equivalent of very senior people in the public sector who would likely be flying around the world business class (hell even people in only ok jobs in the private sector get business class on long haul), have a company credit card with no questions asked on spending etc. I think people need to wake up to the level of job a being a TD or minister is, it should be extremely well paid and have a lot of perks. It’s basially a 24/7/365 job too which many people forget.

It’s like the outrage anytime the government jet is used, it’s nonsense the thing should be in constant use flying ministers, TDs and the president around (the president or taoiseach should never have to fly commercial even for private trips, ever), any other country does it!!

Grayson

NSAman wrote: »

I call BS,,,, here...

https://www.hotels.com/ho233696/?q-check-out=2018-12-05&FPQ=1&q-check-in=2018-12-03&WOE=3&WOD=1&q-room-0-children=0&pa=1&tab=description&JHR=1&q-room-0-adults=2&YGF=0&MGT=2&ZSX=0&SYE=3

Simple search two seconds.. not 500 a week

There were only two results in that search and both were youth hostels.

troyzer

It's hard to feel sympathy for them but at the same time, how many jobs can you think of where you're required to work away from home so often and stay in a hotel at your own expense?

I'm a civil servant and even I don't pay for my own hotels. It's really weird that they have to.

Grayson

I have to travel for work. I stay in hotels like the Marriott. The rooms are average size. They're not suites or anything like that. And they generally cost about 200 a night.

We also have to book through a particular agency and we use a corporate credit card. I don't know why they couldn't do something similar. That way they don't pay it from their own money, they book it through an agency that their expense people can easily audit and all they need to do is have a receipt.

Keyzer

Charles Babbage wrote: »

The usual pointless ranting here.
No employee should have to pay to do their employers work.

It isn' rocket science the government should have a building convenient to the required offices with 6 bedrooms or whatever and make these available, without complicated expenses or some hotel taking a cut.

Agreed.

Regardless of your feelings towards politicians, its ridiculous to expect them to pay for travel and accomodation expenses. No one in the private sector would be expected to do this irrespective of how big or small their salary is.

Touchee

Keyzer wrote: »

Agreed.

Regardless of your feelings towards politicians, its ridiculous to expect them to pay for travel and accomodation expenses. No one in the private sector would be expected to do this irrespective of how big or small their salary is.

I could be wrong, but I thought that €35k of their €130k salary is meant to cover expenses (unvouched expenses). Their base salary is €90k and they get an extra €35k for expenses, which is not taxable.

If they want their hotels paid for, they should give up that €35k and the State can use it to cover accommodation.

NB: Mea culpa if everything above is incorrect.

murpho999

mgn wrote: »

There not intelligent enough to do something like that.

Maybe you should look at yourself before you declare how they're getting on with their intelligence levels there.

Edgware

meeeeh wrote: »

Public service subsistence rates would never get you to the amount td's can claim unvouched. The rates are extremely generous. I don't mind if Td's claim expenses but I don't buy the whole constituency thing, especially for ministers. For a minister their responsibilities should be to the state and not to deal with the stuff local councils should be dealing with. Government is situated in Dublin and that's where their place of work is. I would make some allowances for the fact that position is more precarious but about it.

You can't expect councillors to be dealing with potholes. Thats way above their pay grade.
Thats a job for d'Minishter

Keyzer

Touchee wrote: »

I could be wrong, but I thought that €35k of their €130k salary is meant to cover expenses (unvouched expenses). Their base salary is €90k and they get an extra €35k for expenses, which is not taxable.

If they want their hotels paid for, they should give up that €35k and the State can use it to cover accommodation.

NB: Mea culpa if everything above is incorrect.

For TD's yes, ministers no.

Touchee

Keyzer wrote: »

For TD's yes, ministers no.

Check the link below.

It says Ministeres have a salary of €95k + an allowance of €35k.

I presume the allowance is to cover expenses, otherwise why would you pay someone an allowance?

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/salaries/

Keyzer

Touchee wrote: »

Check the link below.

It says Ministeres have a salary of €95k + an allowance of €35k.

I presume the allowance is to cover expenses, otherwise why would you pay someone an allowance?

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/salaries/

We're talking specifically about travel and accomodation allowances.

"Travel and accomodation allowance (TAA) covers the costs associated with travel to and from Leinster House, overnights and, for TDs only, other travel expenses including constituency travel. Senators receive no payments for constituency travel."

See here:
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/parliamentary-standard-allowances/

endacl

Whereisgalway wrote: »

The teachers are just as bad as them

Just for you.

Look up flat rate expenses for teachers on the revenue website. I’ve let it slide over the last few years, and I’ll be claiming four years worth this week. Xmas paid for, and a nice holiday at Easter. I teach music, and would have easily spent the allowance over the period on instruments etc that I use in the course of work, but I’d have bought them anyway for myself. Thanks taxpayer! Happy days. K’ching!!

Keyzer

endacl wrote: »

Just for you.

Look up flat rate expenses for teachers on the revenue website. I’ve let it slide over the last few years, and I’ll be claiming four years worth this week. Xmas paid for, and a nice holiday at Easter. I teach music, and would have easily spent the allowance over the period on instruments etc that I use in the course of work, but I’d have bought them anyway for myself. Thanks taxpayer! Happy days. K’ching!!

Music to your ears no doubt...

mgn

murpho999 wrote: »

Maybe you should look at yourself before you declare how they're getting on with their intelligence levels there.

Nothing wrong with my intelligence levels.I owned and ran many a business over the past 35+ years.And i tell you another thing smart ass there would be none of my staff with 20,000 posts on boards.ie either,the would be doing the work there paid to do.

endacl

Keyzer wrote: »

Music to your ears no doubt...

It’s kind of ridiculous really. The equipment to deliver classes should be provided, but it’s not because the pressure to is negated byvteachers bringing their own equipment. This is stuff I’d have bought for myself anyway, but do use in work. If I didn’t, the classes would still be delivered, but wouldn’t be as effective.

murpho999

mgn wrote: »

Nothing wrong with my intelligence levels.I owned and ran many a business over the past 35+ years.And i tell you another thing smart ass there would be none of my staff with 20,000 posts on boards.ie either,the would be doing the work there paid to do.

Oooh, you told me off there. You sound like a great boss.

Even though you've no idea if I work or not or what hours I do.

Also, you still don't get the point I was originally making there.

cloudy90210

mgn wrote: »

Nothing wrong with my intelligence levels.I owned and ran many a business over the past 35+ years.And i tell you another thing smart ass there would be none of my staff with 20,000 posts on boards.ie either,the would be doing the work there paid to do.

bahahahaha I'm in work right now and on Boards.

all dat moneyz

mgn

murpho999 wrote: »

Oooh, you told me off there. You sound like a great boss.

Even though you've no idea if I work or not or what hours I do.

Also, you still don't get the point I was originally making there.

I'm guessing a civil servant and no i don't get the point your making.

mgn

cloudy90210 wrote: »

bahahahaha I'm in work right now and on Boards.

all dat moneyz

Probably in a sweet shop.

dr.fuzzenstein

The struggle is real!

“I get give or take, it works out at about with expenses 140,000 a year and I pay 30.3% tax on that, so it’s about a net 100,000 and out of that 100,000 I run a home in Dublin, Castlebar and Brussels. I wanna tell you something, try it sometime…”

AlmightyCushion

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

The struggle is real!

You're forgetting the last bit of the quote. "I wanna tell you something: try it sometime when you’ve a couple of cars and three houses and a few housekeepers."

That was in the late 90's too so it was in punts. Your heart would bleed for them.

murpho999

mgn wrote: »

I'm guessing a civil servant and no i don't get the point your making.

Talk about being judgemental. Civil Servant?

You have no idea what I do for a living or hours I keep.

My 22k posts over a period of 12 year is an average of 5.02 posts a day. I would not call that excessive.

The point I was making is that you said that politicians are not intelligent with "there not intelligent", when you should have said "they're", not knowing that does not make one look so intelligent imho.

mgn

murpho999 wrote: »

Talk about being judgemental. Civil Servant?

You have no idea what I do for a living or hours I keep.

My 22k posts over a period of 12 year is an average of 5.02 posts a day. I would not call that excessive.

The point I was making is that you said that politicians are not intelligent with "there not intelligent", when you should have said "they're", not knowing that does not make one look so intelligent imho.

Must be a school teacher so.When all you have to do is check someone's grammar.

murpho999

mgn wrote: »

Must be a school teacher so.When all you have to do is check someone's grammar.

Well it's better than you trying to work out my occupation.

WoollyRedHat

Sorry the réal scandal here is that these junior ministers are getting paid 130k per annum. First off, why do we have so many of these ' Ministers of State' as they're now called. I'll answer my own question, a lot of the time it's used as political sweeteners and leverage to shore up support. Play ball and you'll be rewarded. Needs a radical overhaul.

Limit number of positions, change rate of pay and then give a favourable accomadation rate if you live a certain distance outside the capital with limits on this i. e economy rate at no more than 150 euro per night for overnight sittings. Then look at creating specific accomadation that is owned by the government to rent out rooms on a much cheaper rate with saving to the taxpayer in the long term.

The amount of expenses afforded to TDs is a joke too. Cut it. The amount of subsidation is crazy. Reel it in. The Dail Bar case in point, with debts even been written off, paid for by yours truly. Close it off during important votes on legislation including overnight sessions, as TDs have proven they cant be trusted to not have a few scoops during break when business is in still in session.

If you want to have a jolly on taxpayers money, it should be for business purposes and properly receipted and accounted for to same standards as all other public bodies.

mikeym

A bloody disgrace.

These Junior Ministers should be voted out in the next General Election.

4ensic15

They should be given free accommodation in Hotel Rwanda in Rathmines when they are in Dublin. I wouldn't begrudge it to them.

mikeym

vicwatson wrote: »

That Kehoe lad took in 141 k last year and the tool wants free hotels too. Go and ****e, the lot of ye

And hes doing a **** job.

mgn

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Sorry the r scandal here is that these junior ministers are getting paid 130k per annum. First off, why do we have so many of these ' Ministers of State' as they're now called. I'll answer my own question, a lot of the time it's used as political sweeteners and leverage to shore up support. Play ball and you'll be rewarded. Needs a radical overhaul. Limit number of positions change rate of pay and then give a favourable accomadation rate if you live a certain distance outside the capital with limits on this i. e economy rate at no more than 150 euro per night.

When it comes to elections ministers and junior ministers usually get elected.
It's a joke of a system.If the think the might lose a seat they will make them a minister to hold on to the seat.In the real world it's the best person for the job.