Published: Tuesday, 30th December, 2008 1:00pm

McFadden calls for cap on Seanad expenses

Senator Donie Cassidy has hit back at criticism over his annual expenses claim which totalled over €50,000. The Westmeath senator was named on a list of high expenses claimants which appeared in a Sunday Independent article entitled 'The gravy train rolls on'. The article also referred to his "extra" salary which Senator Cassidy receives due to his role as speaker of the house.

In total members of the Seanad took home a slice of a €3 million pie solely for expense claims.

'What people don"t realise is that my salary as speaker is fully taxable,' he said. 'While it is reported as €21,000 what I actually receive is €11,000 and that is for what is all but a full-time position.

'I liaise with Ministers of State, arrange for the taking of new bills and I must be present on any official business of the house. Reports don"t reflect that these expenses include all my travel, telephone bills and basically everything spent on official business.

'I am a member of the British/Irish Committee, am on the Seanad committee which deals with the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. I am involved in administrative affairs of the Seanad and am on the Enterprise and Trade Committee for the development of small businesses.

'There is a misconception that all of the expenses we claim goes straight into our pockets but that is not true. Up to 30 per cent of that money is taking directly for paying bills. I am fully satisfied that all expenses accounts for the Seanad are dealt with in an open and transparent way.'

This week Senator Nicky McFadden said that she would be calling for a cap on expenses due to the extreme difficulties currently being experienced by her constituents. Senator McFadden"s claims were at the lower end of the scale totalling €37,500.

'Like anyone who has a job at the minute I just feel lucky,' she said. 'I am aware of old people in my constituency going to bed cold and so of course I have got to have a conscience about my expenses claims. I spoke to a lady at MABS the other week and she was being asked to save a bit extra out of her income so that she could put it towards paying off bills and debts. This woman had just lost her job and she told me that she just didn"t have anything more to put by. The situation that we are all in is very serious and in the current climate capping expenses is an obvious thing to do.'