TDs and Senators have been able to claim back more than €35,000 in expenses for the purchase of high-end mobile phones, ear buds, and tech accessories over the past year and a half.
The Houses of the Oireachtas said a total of €35,153 had been spent on the allowance, which allows politicians to claim up to €750 against the cost of a new device every 18 months.
Copies of invoices show that of the 54 claim forms submitted since the beginning of 2023, 27 were for the full allowance.
Among the claims was one by Jennifer Carroll MacNeill who claimed back expenditure of €680, which took place just before her being appointed as a minister of state. A copy of the Fine Gael TD’s invoices shows purchase of an iPhone 14 with a once-off charge of €379.99 and a set of ivory-coloured Powerbeats Pro True Wireless Earbuds that cost €299.95.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers paid €1,449 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max with 256GB of memory in January of this year, according to receipts released under the Freedom of Information Act. However, only half of that was refundable by the Oireachtas with the scheme capped at €750 per member.
In July of last year, the Fine Gael Senator, and current MEP, Regina Doherty submitted a claim form of €828.99, with €750 of that eligible for repayment. That offset the cost of a €529.99 iPhone 14 Plus, a €12.99 monthly insurance plan, and a €299 outlay on a set of Apple AirPods.
Former minister for justice Charlie Flanagan was refunded €750 of the €905 that he paid out for a new device in April of last year. An invoice submitted along with the claim form showed that this covered an €869.99 iPhone 14 and a famously sturdy Otterbox case that cost the Fine Gael TD €34.90.
While Apple devices seemed most popular among Oireachtas members, some opted for other brands. Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins, who has since been appointed a junior minister, submitted a claim for €750 for a Samsung S22 that cost €977.99 along with a case and screen protector.
One of the priciest purchases was the €1,619 that was paid by Fianna Fáil’s John McGuinness for an iPhone 15 Pro with a whopping 512GB of memory. The phone was bought from the Harvey Norman chain with Mr. McGuinness’ claim capped at €750 under the terms of the Oireachtas allowance.
One device was bought from a retailer in Ho Chi Minh City, according to invoices. Independent TD Denis Naughten bought his midnight-style iPhone 14 from a Vietnamese provider for 18.97 million dong, which at the time worked out as the equivalent of €755.76.
Not all Oireachtas members were interested in top-of-the-range phones with one TD spending just €245 on a second-hand mobile. Former minister Michael Creed of Fine Gael paid that sum for a “pre-owned” iPhone 8 with a five-month warranty that was bought in May of last year.
The €750 phone payment is separate to the public representation allowance, which is paid annually to the tune of €20,350 for TDs and €12,225 for Senators, and which covers office expenses, other telephony, room hire, newsletters, and a wide range of other spending.
