TDS Claim €35k For Their Offices During Lockdown

Sinn Fein took biggest bite to spruce up constituency sites

- Ailbhe Jordan

TDS spent €35,000 of the taxpayer’s money on their constituency offices during lockdown, while people were being told to work from home.

Between March and June, eight deputies banked €35,376 under the Constituency Office Establishment Allowance which allows them to claim up to €8,000 towards the cost of setting up an office.

Sinn Fein’s Paul Donnelly claimed the full €8,000 for his Dublin West office on April 7, while Independent Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghue also claimed the maximum amount on May 25.

Our analysis of Oireachtas documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that Sinn Fein TDs received €21,020 in total – almost 60% of monies claimed.