Parliamentary expenses scam

[Ephilant]

The "expense allowances" for Greek parliamentarians have been released, and have create a storm of disgust in Greece. I thought it might be fun, if not useful, to see how the various elected representatives in Europe "reward" themselves over and above their wages.
Here's the Greek scam.

Wages: 6000-6500€ net per month

Fixed expense allowances:

Office: 2,263€ per month (this does not include wages for staff!) It covers post, paper, photocopying, etc.
Mileage cost: 364€-607€ per month, depending on where they come from
Car Allowance 1,200€ per month for outside Attica with a max cc of 1800. 750€ inside Attica, with a max cc of 1400. This is to cover the cost of leasing a car.
Rent Allowance: 1,000€ per month
Phone (fixed line): 917€ per month, with deputies from outside Attica entitled to 8 lines, those inside Attica 7 lines
Mobile phone: 200€ per month
Air Tickets: 875€ per month, or 104 flights per year (only for those from outside Attica)
Scientific Counsellors (!): 2 counsellors per MP, 4500€ per month in total. Each MP also gets another 2 employees assigned from the civil service, who are paid by the civil service. All 4 of these are entitled to a flat 45 hours per month OVERTIME!
Social Security coverage: this is a "special rate" for MPs and their families of 350€ per month.
Committee money: a payment of 1150€ a month is given to each MP as COMPENSATION for participating in various committees.

Last month, Gerasimos Giakoumatos, MP of ND submitted a bill for "expenses" of 8267.12€.

Knowing that the average wage in Greece today is 400€ per month, while an unemployed person receives a max of 360€ a month for a max of 1 year, it is refreshing to know that that a Greek MP costs the state an average of 673€ per day.

How do we compare to others? It would be really good to find out, might just kill the myth of politicians fleecing the system

[Kid Ryder]

The "expense allowances" for Greek parliamentarians have been released, and have create a storm of disgust in Greece. I thought it might be fun, if not useful, to see how the various elected representatives in Europe "reward" themselves over and above their wages.
Here's the Greek scam.

Wages: 6000-6500€ net per month

Fixed expense allowances:

Office: 2,263€ per month (this does not include wages for staff!) It covers post, paper, photocopying, etc.
Mileage cost: 364€-607€ per month, depending on where they come from
Car Allowance 1,200€ per month for outside Attica with a max cc of 1800. 750€ inside Attica, with a max cc of 1400. This is to cover the cost of leasing a car.
Rent Allowance: 1,000€ per month
Phone (fixed line): 917€ per month, with deputies from outside Attica entitled to 8 lines, those inside Attica 7 lines
Mobile phone: 200€ per month
Air Tickets: 875€ per month, or 104 flights per year (only for those from outside Attica)
Scientific Counsellors (!): 2 counsellors per MP, 4500€ per month in total. Each MP also gets another 2 employees assigned from the civil service, who are paid by the civil service. All 4 of these are entitled to a flat 45 hours per month OVERTIME!
Social Security coverage: this is a "special rate" for MPs and their families of 350€ per month.
Committee money: a payment of 1150€ a month is given to each MP as COMPENSATION for participating in various committees.

Last month, Gerasimos Giakoumatos, MP of ND submitted a bill for "expenses" of 8267.12€.

Knowing that the average wage in Greece today is 400€ per month, while an unemployed person receives a max of 360€ a month for a max of 1 year, it is refreshing to know that that a Greek MP costs the state an average of 673€ per day.

How do we compare to others? It would be really good to find out, might just kill the myth of politicians fleecing the system

There's bugger all austerity for some people, eh?

[Andrew49]

From 2005 to 2008, €97,637,195.65 was paid out to TDs in salaries and expenses.

The top 30 for the period are (a proviso: the Ceann Comhairle and his deputy receive Ministerial-like salaries, and heads of Committees receive greater amounts)

Rory O’Hanlon € 789,543.77
Michael Moynihan € 726,873.65
Bernard Allen € 725,636.56
Noel O’Flynn € 723,782.51
Sean Fleming € 722,561.57
Johnny Brady € 720,676.88
Jackie Healy-Rae € 719,350.52
Dan Neville € 712,660.55
Brendan Howlin € 709,654.03
John Cregan € 704,570.69
Padraic McCormack € 699,120.51
Ned O’Keeffe € 695,606.45
Dinny McGinley € 692,391.64
Seymour Crawford € 692,011.42
John Perry € 691,415.49
Michael Lowry € 690,947.20
Tom Hayes € 690,436.23
Peter Kelly € 684,358.22
Paul Kehoe € 680,046.39
Michael Ring € 679,042.87
Enda Kenny € 676,745.95
John O’Donoghue € 675,828.78
Phil Hogan € 672,263.48
Niall Blaney € 671,759.13
Pat Breen € 669,201.01
Jim O’Keeffe € 668,538.10
Michael Finneran € 665,965.04
John Moloney € 663,295.21
Beverley Flynn € 661,031.29
John Deasy € 659,961.01

Full Breakdown HERE - The Story

[DCon]

The lads and ladies in the UK may have come up with an ingenious plan

Rent their homes to each other

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

I see Nick Hurd is Minister of State for Civil Society. That would be the son of Douglas Hurd and the fouth generation of his family to hold a seat in Parliament.

Even the UK is not immune to the expenses scams nor dynasty politics.

[Slim Buddha]

From 2005 to 2008, €97,637,195.65 was paid out to TDs in salaries and expenses.

The top 30 for the period are (a proviso: the Ceann Comhairle and his deputy receive Ministerial-like salaries, and heads of Committees receive greater amounts)

Rory O’Hanlon € 789,543.77
Michael Moynihan € 726,873.65
Bernard Allen € 725,636.56
Noel O’Flynn € 723,782.51
Sean Fleming € 722,561.57
Johnny Brady € 720,676.88
Jackie Healy-Rae € 719,350.52
Dan Neville € 712,660.55
Brendan Howlin € 709,654.03
John Cregan € 704,570.69
Padraic McCormack € 699,120.51
Ned O’Keeffe € 695,606.45
Dinny McGinley € 692,391.64
Seymour Crawford € 692,011.42
John Perry € 691,415.49
Michael Lowry € 690,947.20
Tom Hayes € 690,436.23
Peter Kelly € 684,358.22
Paul Kehoe € 680,046.39
Michael Ring € 679,042.87
Enda Kenny € 676,745.95
John O’Donoghue € 675,828.78
Phil Hogan € 672,263.48
Niall Blaney € 671,759.13
Pat Breen € 669,201.01
Jim O’Keeffe € 668,538.10
Michael Finneran € 665,965.04
John Moloney € 663,295.21
Beverley Flynn € 661,031.29
John Deasy € 659,961.01

Full Breakdown HERE - The Story

Just to take one of these jokers at random, I selected former deputy FF whip John Cregan who clocked up over €700,000 in three years.

It seems that this guy was chairman of an Oireachtas committee for 2 months in 2007. Otherwise he was looking after the vegetable plot of Limerick West, doing his clinics from his base in Dromcolliher. Did we get value for money with him?
Maybe if you lived in Dromcolliher, you might feel that this guy was worth it. Otherwise?
It is probably unfair to pick on one ex-FF type but he is proof that we are chronically over-represented and guys like Cregan are luxuries we cannot afford.

But then, I am all for getting rid of the Oireachtas in its current form anyway.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Those figures are not 'expenses' incurred in the way of parliamentary duty. They are padded attempts at claiming the maximum.

Are these people seriously attempting to say that it costs someone 700-800k over three years to be a TD?

This is evidence of fraud- and in any private organisation there would be an investigation and a number of these people would be in court for embezzling money.

These weren't expenses. It was evidence of embezzlement.

[Slim Buddha]

Those figures are not 'expenses' incurred in the way of parliamentary duty. They are padded attempts at claiming the maximum.

Are these people seriously attempting to say that it costs someone 700-800k over three years to be a TD?

This is evidence of fraud- and in any private organisation there would be an investigation and a number of these people would be in court for embezzling money.

These weren't expenses. It was evidence of embezzlement.

You obviously have no idea what is involved being on the Parent -Teacher Committee of Dromcollihar National School!

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Sure all thats required there is 20c to ring the bishop's office if uncertain.