S.I. No. 59 of 2003

Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act, 1998 (Allowances and Allocations) Order 2003

The Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 3, 3A (as inserted by No. 5 of 1998 ), hereby orders as follows:

1.       This Order may be cited as the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 1998 (Allowances and Allocations) Order 2003.

2.       (1)       There is payable to a member of Dáil éireann who holds or held the position of Minister of State to the Department of the Taoiseach, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position to attend at Government meetings, at the rate of €15,413.35 per year, in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held the position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of Dáil éireann who holds or held the position of Minister of State to the Department of the Taoiseach, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position to attend at Government meetings, at the rate of €16,030 per year, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held the position.

3.       (1)       There is payable to a member of Dáil éireann who holds or held a position in Dáil éireann specified in column (2) of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of Dáil éireann who holds or held a position in Dáil éireann specified in column (2) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

4.       (1)       There is payable to a member of Seanad éireann who holds or held a position in Seanad éireann specified in column (2) of Part 2 of Schedule 1 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of Seanad éireann who holds or held a position in Seanad éireann specified in column (2) of Part 2 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

5.       (1)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee being the Select Committee on European Affairs, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate of €15,413.35 per year in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of chairperson of an Oireachtas Committee specified in column (2) of Part 3 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

6.       (1)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of chairperson of an Oireachtas sub-committee specified in column (2) of Part 3 of Schedule 1 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of chairperson of an Oireachtas sub-committee specified in column (2) of Part 4 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

7.       (1)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of vice-chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee being the Select Committee on European Affairs, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate of €7,882.53 per year in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of vice-chairperson of an Oireachtas Committee specified in column (2) of Part 5 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

8.       (1)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of whip to an Oireachtas Committee being the Select Committee on European Affairs, an allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate of €4,912.62 per year, in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

(2)       There is payable to a member of the Oireachtas who holds or held the position of whip to the Oireachtas Committee specified in column (2) of Part 6 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an annual allowance in respect of the member's duties as holder of that position, at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002, during which the member held that position.

9.       (1)       There is allocated to the chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee being the Select Committee on European Affairs, an amount at the rate of €12,338.04 per year to enable allowances to be paid, at rates determined by that Committee, to --

(a)       members of the Committee, or

(b)       members of any of its sub-committees,

other than those holding the position mentioned in section 3 or 4 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act, 1998 (No. 5 of 1998) , in respect of the performance of specific duties assigned to them by the Committee or sub-committee and that relate to its operation in respect of any period beginning on 6 June 2002 and ending with 6 November 2002.

(2)       There is allocated to the chairperson of an Oireachtas Committee specified in column (2) of Part 7 of Schedule 2 to this Order at any reference number, an annual amount, at the rate per year specified in column (3) of that Schedule opposite that reference number, to enable allowances to be paid, at rates determined by that Committee, to --

(a)       members of the Committee, or

(b)       members of any of its sub-committees,

other than those holding the position mentioned in section 3 or 4 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act, 1998 , in respect of the performance of specific duties assigned to them by the Committee or sub-committee and that relate to its operation, in respect of any period beginning on 7 November 2002.

10.     The Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act, 1998 (Allowances and Allocations) Order 2001 ( S.I. No. 377 of 2001 ) is revoked.

SCHEDULE 1

PART 1

Article 3

Rates of allowances payable to holders of specified positions in Dáil Éireann

PART 2

Article 4

Rates of allowances payable to holders of specified positions in Seanad Éireann

PART 3

Article 6

Rates of allowances payable to chairpersons of specified Oireachtas sub-committees

SCHEDULE 2

PART 1

Article 3

Rates of allowances payable to holders of specified positions in Dáil Éireann.

PART 2

Article 4

Rates of allowances payable to holders of specified positions in Seanad Éireann.

PART 3

Article 5

Rates of allowances payable to chairpersons of specified Oireachtas Committees.

PART 4

Article 6

Rates of allowances payable to chairpersons of specified Oireachtas sub-committees.

PART 5

Article 7

Rates of allowances payable to vice-chairpersons of specified Oireachtas Committees.

PART 6

Article 8

Rates of allowances payable to whips to specified Oireachtas Committees.

PART 7

Article 9

Rates of amounts to be allocated to chairpersons of specified Oireachtas Committees

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The Order replaces a previous Order made in 2001, and takes account of the revised Committee arrangements in the Dáil and Seanad. The levels of allowance are unchanged from those in the previous Order. Two new positions are provided for, however, namely Party Whip to Sinn Fein and Assistant Whip to the Progressive Democrats, as a result of their increased representation in the Dáil. The Order also takes account of the application of the final phase of the PPF with effect from 1 October 2002.

Published by the Government Supplies Agency, Dublin.