THE perk of a free printing facility for Oireachtas members isn’t all about Christmas cards — TDs and senators are are also sending taxpayer-funded sympathy, good luck and congratulations cards.
New figures show that the free service, which is mostly used for newsletters and headed notepaper, has cost almost €1m over the past four years — printing 45 million items for 236 elected representatives.
While much of the media’s focus is on Christmas cards, a total of 31 TDs and senators have ordered 21,260 personalised sympathy cards since the start of the current Dail.
Michael Healy-Rae, an independent TD for Kerry South, was the biggest user of this facility, ordering 2,500 sympathy cards in 2014. On average, about 1,140 people die in Kerry each year.
Asked about the large order, Healy-Rae said he was using a service which was available and there was “absolutely nothing wrong with that”.
“It’s easier to place an order for a large amount rather than be coming back repeatedly for smaller print runs. I was being prudent and they won’t go to waste,” said Healy-Rae.
Personalised calendars have also proven highly popular in Leinster House, with almost 728,000 being ordered by 43 TDs and senators since 2011. Niall Collins, Fianna Fail’s justice spokesman, tops the list with orders for 127,000 calendars at a cost of €3,900. However, Alan Kelly, the environment minister, ordered 94,000 calendars at a cost of €4,640, the highest recorded.
Other less commonplace orders were placed by John Perry, a former junior minister, for 300 “good luck” cards, while Fine Gael TD Tony McLoughlin requested 500 “congratulations” cards.
A breakdown of the use of the service shows that 236 elected representatives have had more than 45m items printed during the current Dail term at a cost of €978,877.
The single biggest user is independent TD Terence Flanagan, who has had almost 1.2m items printed at a cost of €22,573. The average value of print orders by all deputies and senators is just under €4,150.
Flanagan, who represents the Dublin North-East constituency, which had an electorate of 58,542 in the 2011 general election, has ordered print runs of 75,000 on two occasions for newsletters. He explained the size of the order was due to the fact that boundary changes meant his new, enlarged constituency of Dublin Bay North had a population of 147,000.
“I try to issue at least four or five news bulletins to each house every year outlining my Dail work on national and local issues of concern and other general information,” said Flanagan. “When I first stood for election I promised my constituents that I would always be available and keep in touch with them.”
The second biggest user of the printing facility is Frances Fitzgerald, the justice minister, who ordered almost 800,000 items costing €16,229.
Other big users of the service include Labour TD Seán Kenny (€15,890), Labour junior minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (€15,172) and Fine Gael deputy Derek Keating (€14,877).
An Oireachtas spokesman said the use of the facility was governed by rules which stipulate it as for use “solely in connection with their parliamentary duties”.
It allows material for communicating with constituents on local or general public interest issues, government policies and legislation, including newsletters, flyers, business and Christmas cards.
TDs and senators cannot use the service for corporate material such as fundraising, overt electioneering material, content which promotes a private enterprise, or material which is designed to influence how to vote in a referendum.
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