S.I. No. 388 of 2001

REGULATIONS

OIREACHTAS (ALLOWANCES TO MEMBERS) (TELEPHONE AND POSTAL FACILITIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2001

I, Charlie McCreevy, Minister for Finance, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 2 (inserted by section 11 (1) of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act, 1992 (No. 3 of 1992) , as amended by section 3 of the Oireachtas (Miscellaneous Provisions) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act, 1996 ( No. 39 of 1996 )) and 3 (as amended by section 17 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act, 1998 ( No. 5 of 1998 )) of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Act, 1962 (No. 32 of 1962) , hereby make the following regulations:

1.       These Regulations may be cited as the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) (Telephone and Postal facilities) (Amendment) Regulations, 2001.

2.       These Regulations are to be taken to have come into operation on 1 January 2001.

3.       In these Regulations the “Principal Regulations” means the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) (Telephone and Postal Facilities) Regulations, 1998 ( S.I. No. 99 of 1998 ).

4.       Regulation 4 of the Principal Regulations is amended -

(a)      in paragraph (1)(a) by substituting “£5,000” for “£4,000”, and,

(b)      in paragraph (1)(b) by substituting “£3,750” for “£3,000”.

5.       Regulation 5 of the Principal Regulations is amended by deleting paragraphs (1)(j) and (1)(k).

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These Regulations amend existing Regulations which provide for the payment of an unvouched Constituency Telephone Allowance to Members of the Oireachtas. From the 1st day of January 2001, an annual allowance of £5,000 shall be payable to a TD and £3,750 shall be payable to a Senator.

These Regulations also provide for the removal of the power of the Committee of Procedures and Privileges to investigate cases of alleged abuse of the postal facilities. Arising from a change in the primary legislation, Members of the Oireachtas are no longer restricted to the use of the postal facilities for parliamentary duties.