06/09/2012

Mick Wallace Claiming Controversial €41,000 Leaders Allowance

Mick Wallace, the Independent TD who admitting to not paying taxes, is claiming an extra Dail allowance worth €41,000.

The Irish Independent has reported that Wallace has started claiming for the controversial leader's allowance, which is unvouched and untaxed, in recent months.

He has however refused to say if he taking the payment following revelations about his €2.1m tax bill.

Mr Wallace said in June he would give up half his €92,000 TD's salary to help pay his tax debt as part of an agreed settlement with Revenue.

But he did not mention the decision to start taking the €41,000 annual allowance, which is untaxed -- meaning that he is now effectively better off than he was last year in terms of the money he receives from the Oireachtas.

Mr Wallace was elected as a TD in February of last year but official figures show that he did not claim the allowance in 2011.

He has now started to take the allowance -- but is refusing to reveal when he made that decision.

The €41,000 which Mr Wallace is claiming is intended for purely political purposes. TDs are supposed to use it for research, constituency services and other functions.

(H)


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