TDs and senators signed off more than €400,000 of overtime claims for their political staff during a four-month period in which the Dáil only sat eight times, and the Seanad only met thrice.
Nearly €1 million was paid to politicians’ secretaries and parliamentary assistants in overtime in the first seven months of this year, according to records released under freedom of information laws.
The documents also show that a total of just over €58,000 was paid out in overtime between January 14 and February 20, during which period the Dáil had been dissolved and the general election was held.
Secretaries and parliamentary assistants are employed by individual TDs and senators, but they are paid directly by the Houses of the Oireachtas. Overtime claims are
