TDs and senators will have unpaid bills from the Dáil bar deducted from their pay under new Oireachtas rules.
RTÉ News reports that all TDs and senators have received a letter from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission outlining details of the new credit policy for the Dáil bar and restaurant.
The system has been introduced after the Commission's most recent annual report revealed €5,500 in unpaid Dáil bar and restaurant bills had been written off.
A report last year revealed Dáil bar bills are written off as there was no prospect of recouping the debt.
Currently, TDs receive a basic salary of €93,599 while a senator's basic pay is €66,277.
Deduction mandate
Under the new system, members must complete an application and deduction mandate form before making any credit purchases at the Dáil bar.
Members who use the new credit facility have two months during which they can pay off their account directly through usual payment methods.
However if debts are not settled by the end of the second month, they will be classified as 'aged debt'.
The aged debt will be automatically deducted from the following month’s salary, or charged to the debtor’s nominated credit/debit card.
TDs and senators have until the end of May 2018 to clear any existing aged debt before the new system kicks in.
There are two restaurants in Leinster House: a members’ restaurant for TDs and senators and a self-service restaurant used by members and other people working in the building.
There are also two bars in the complex, including one that is exclusively for the use of TDs and senators.
