What TDs and office holders are paid
| Office | Annual pay (approx.) |
|---|---|
| TD (basic salary) | €115,953 |
| Cabinet Minister (total) | €210,750 |
| Tánaiste (total) | €229,473 |
| Taoiseach (total) | €248,773 |
Ministers and the Taoiseach receive the ordinary TD salary plus an additional salaried allowance for the office. The Oireachtas table currently available lists rates effective 1 March 2025; the public-service agreement scheduled further increases after that date, so the published table may not yet reflect the latest rate. Check the Oireachtas page before quoting a figure as current.TD and Senator salaries on oireachtas.ie.
What allowances can TDs claim?
| Allowance | What it covers | Approx. amount |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and accommodation allowance | Travel and overnight costs of attending the Oireachtas. Higher for TDs far from Dublin, and requires a minimum number of sitting days. | About €6,300 (Dublin) to €32,535 (360km+ from Leinster House) |
| Public representation allowance | Constituency costs such as offices, staff and communications. | About €20,350 for a TD; up to €16,000 for a Minister |
The two allowances together are called the Parliamentary Standard Allowance. Members also have paid parliamentary assistants, and some office-holders receive additional payments, such as party leaders’ allowances.
The Oireachtas publishes Parliamentary Standard Allowance payments for every member, so you can look up what your TD has claimed.Oireachtas: Parliamentary Standard Allowance.
How can I check what my TD earns or claims?
- Salaries and allowances are published on oireachtas.ie.
- Members must declare their financial interests in the Register of Members’ Interests, such as other jobs, property and gifts.
- Pay is set by law and public-sector pay rules, not by TDs voting on their own pay each year.
- The Standards in Public Office Commission oversees ethics and disclosure rules.
For more on who holds politicians to account, see our guide to accountability bodies.Accountability bodies in Ireland.
To see what your TD is doing for the money, look at their votes and questions.What is a TD?.
Who decides what TDs are paid?
TDs do not vote on their own pay rise each year. Salaries for TDs and office holders are set under legislation and have, in recent years, moved in line with public service pay agreements. Allowances are set out in rules made under the Oireachtas allowances legislation and administered by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service.
Common assumption: TD expenses are secret.
In fact: The Houses of the Oireachtas publishes payments to each member, so you can check what your TD claimed.
Common assumption: Every TD is paid the same.
In fact: All TDs get the same basic salary, but office holders such as Ministers, the Ceann Comhairle and committee chairs receive extra.
Common assumption: Allowances are extra salary.
In fact: Allowances are meant to cover the cost of travel, accommodation, offices and staff. They are separate from pay.
How to check a claim you have seen online
Pay figures travel fast on social media and are often out of date or confuse salary with allowances.
Check the date
Salaries change with pay agreements. A figure from two years ago may be wrong today.
Separate pay from allowances
Ask whether the number is a salary, an allowance, or both added together.
Go to the source
Look up the published payments to members on oireachtas.ie rather than trusting a screenshot.