S.I. No. 328/2011 - Oireachtas (Allowances and Facilities) (Amendment) Regulations 2011.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 1st July, 2011.

I, MICHAEL NOONAN, Minister for Finance, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 2(1)(b) (inserted by section 11 (1) of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act 1992 (No. 3 of 1992)) and section 3 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Act 1962 (No. 32 of 1962)) hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Oireachtas (Allowances and Facilities) (Amendment) Regulations 2011.

(2) These Regulations come into operation on 1 July 2011.

2. Regulation 8(1) of the Oireachtas (Allowances and Facilities) Regulations 2010 ( S.I. No. 84 of 2010 ) is amended by substituting for subparagraph (d) the following:

“(d) a member shall be entitled to receive a monthly allocation of ordinary prepaid envelopes not exceeding—

(i) in the case of a member who is a party whip in Dáil Éireann, the number obtained by adding—

(I) the number that is equal to the number of members for the time being of the parliamentary party of which the member is whip when multiplied by 10, and

(II)1,250,

(ii) in the case of any other member of Dáil Éireann, 1,250,

(iii) in the case of a member who is a group whip in Seanad Éireann, the number obtained by adding—

(I) the number that is equal to the number of members for the time being of the group of which the member is whip when multiplied by 10, and

(II)750,

and

(iv) in the case of any other member of Seanad Éireann, 750;”.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

29 June 2011.

MICHAEL NOONAN,

Minister for Finance.

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 and telephone facilities and the secretarial allowance scheme.

These Regulations reduce the number of pre-paid envelopes provided to TDs from 1,500 per month to 1,250 per month and for Senators from 1,000 per month to 750 per month from 1 [July] 2011.