S.I. No. 37/2012 - Oireachtas (Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 10th February, 2012.

I, BRENDAN HOWLIN TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3(4)(e) (inserted by section 19 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) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act 1992 (No. 3 of 1992), and the Finance (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 418 of 2011 ), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Oireachtas (Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

(2) The Regulations come into operation on 1 February 2012.

2. Regulation 5(4) of the Oireachtas (Allowances and Facilities) Regulations ( S.I. No. 84 of 2010 ) is amended—

(a) in subparagraph (c), by inserting after clause (xiii) the following:

“(xiiia) expenses, including any statutory deductions, for the purchase of secretarial support, public relations, information technology (but not internet related) and training services under a contract for service from a person or service provider, other than—

(I) persons engaged or expenses incurred under Regulation 9 or the Regulations of 2008, or

(II) Ministerial staff employed under the Guidelines on Staffing Ministerial Offices,”, and

(b) in subparagraph (d), by inserting after clause (iv) the following:

“(iva) expenses, including any statutory deductions, for the purchase of secretarial support, public relations, information technology (but not internet related) and training services under a contract for service from a person or service provider, other than—

(I) persons engaged or expenses incurred under Regulation 9 or the Regulations of 2008, or

(II) Ministerial staff employed under the Guidelines on Staffing Ministerial Offices,”.

GIVEN under my Official

31 January 2012.

BRENDAN HOWLIN,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

EXPLANTORY NOTE

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

These Regulations amend the existing principal Regulations (S.I. 84 of 2010) which provides for the payment of a Parliamentary Standard Allowance to reimburse members of the Oireachtas for certain expenses incurred and also deals with the provision of free postage, telephone facilities and the secretarial allowance scheme.

These Regulations allow for the Public Representational Allowance element of the Parliamentary Standard Allowance to be used to claim certain expenses for secretarial support as well as the other existing categories but not for staff or other costs already claimed for under Regulation 9 of SI 84 of 2010, the Regulations of 2008 or staff employed in Ministerial offices.