The taxpayer has paid out about $17,000 in the past year to buy new phones for TDs and Senators.
Under Oireachtas’ rules, politicians can claim back €750 every eighteen months under the so-called direct purchase scheme for the purchase of phones, kits and insurance.
Fourteen TDs and twelve Senators have taken advantage of the scheme since early June last year, with a majority choosing to take advantage of the full €750 compensation.
Kerry Independent Michael Healy-Rae has spent $1,250 on a new kit, including an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, which cost $1,000 excluding taxes.
He also bought two screen protectors and a case for around $60, but was given a $44.72 discount as “managers goodwill” according to an invoice he submitted.
The total bill was €1,250 including VAT, but Mr Healy-Rae’s recovery from the Oireachtas is said to have been capped at €750.
Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness paid $1,299.00 for his new mobile – an iPhone 12 Pro with 256MB of memory, invoices show.
That receipt also included an expense of $29.95 on a phone screen, but the claim was for up to $750 under the direct purchase rules.
Other TDs claiming the full €750 right were Independents Richard O’Donoghue and Marian Harkin, and Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan and Cathal Crowe.
Kathleen Funchion of Sinn Féin, however, got a Samsung Galaxy S9 that cost only € 239.
Nearly all twelve senators who claimed the direct purchase scheme opted for the full €750 available, according to the administration.
Fianna O’Loughlin of Fianna Fáil has submitted a receipt to cover the cost of a Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro, a power adapter, and an Otterbox screen and case.
The total cost was €1,378.98, although the claim, like all the others, was capped at the €750 limit.
Senator Denis O’Donovan filed a $900 claim to cover the cost of an iPhone 12 and included $105 for “insurance, maintenance, [and] miscellaneous expenses”.
An amount of €750 was repaid by the Oireachtas under the scheme.
Seán Kyne of Fine Gael submitted a receipt of €1,050 for the purchase of an iPhone 13, including a €20 charge for [and] transfer”. The claim was subject to the usual limit.
Other senators who filed a claim for €750 in the settlement included three Fianna Fáil politicians: Lisa Chambers (an iPhone 12), Aidan Davitt (also an iPhone 12) and Timmy Dooley (an iPhone Pro 13).
A smaller claim was filed by Senator Malcolm Byrne, who paid $270 for a screen replacement and repairs to an iPhone 11 Pro.
Not all purchases were made in Ireland, with Fine Gael’s John Cummins buying his iPhone 13 Pro from an Apple store in New York’s Soho borough for $1,087.
An informational note from the Oireachtas said:[The] This scheme allows members to purchase a mobile phone and car kit from a provider of their choice and reclaim the cost of the equipment up to a maximum of €750 in an 18-month period.
“The costs covered include the purchase of a handset, car kit, annual insurance premium, maintenance and miscellaneous costs. To be reimbursed, members must complete a claim form and provide supporting documents.