Two Tipperary TDs have been criticised for their use of Oireachtas facilities to print calendars for constituents.
For the second year running, Independant Deputy Seamus Healy has printed the most of any TD in the country despite his assertions, that the use of Oireachtas facilities to print Christmas cards is a waste of tax payers money.
Tipperary Independant deputy Seamus Healy used Dáil facilities to print 72,500 calendars at a cost of over €2,000,
according to documents released by the Oireachtas.
And his constituency colleague, Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill, ran up a bill of €1,000 after printing 38,000 calendars for his constituents.
Overall, 25 TDs and senators used the facilities to print cards and calendars ahead of this week’s recess.
The total spend came to €6,100.12, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The number of TDs who availed of the services this year is significantly higher than last year.But the scale of the calendars printed by Mr Healy far outweighs his colleagues.
In a statement, Mr Healy said the calendars are not Christmas material and that they will be delivered to constituents in January.
He maintains that he considers the use of the Dáil printing press to produce personal Christmas cards to be a waste of public money and insists that he has not done this.
