Oireachtas looked for repayment of more than €100,000 overpaid to staff and former TDs and Senators

Leinster House had to chase up a debt of almost €31,000 from a retired politician or their estate, part of more than €100,000 owed in overpayments at the end of 2025.

Figures from the Oireachtas show that former TDs and Senators, or their estates, were on the hook for almost €55,000 that was paid out in error.

At the close of last year, there were eight outstanding cases involving ex-members with an average of around €6,800 owed.

A further €29,000 was being recovered from political staff, retired political staff or from their estates in cases where they had passed away.

The average amount owed in those was much smaller, at around €1,000 per case.

Civil servants in the employment of the Oireachtas were also being pursued over €16,400 in overpayments at the end of 2025, according to information released under FOI.

The bulk of the €100,128 overall debt involved just ten cases.

In one case involving a former TD or Senator, or their estate, €30,868 was owed, more than treble the next highest debt.

There were another four cases in which at least €6,000 was owed, with the highest of those overpayments listed as €9,525.

The Oireachtas figures showed a sharp rise in the amount of money being recovered over the past three years.

In 2023, there were €59,120 in overpayments returned to the State while last year that figure was more than double at €126,306.

The amount of money outstanding at the end of the year has also fallen, though not quite as significantly.

The total owed at the end of 2023 was €130,624, falling to €98,144 in 2024, before increasing slightly to €100,128 last year.

In an information note, the Houses of the Oireachtas Service said there were no overpayments made to sitting TDs or Senators between 2023 and 2025.

The note said: “In respect of all overpayments outstanding at the end of 2025 … they were either fully recouped in 2026, repayments are underway, or the Service is engaging with the individual/estate of the individual to put a recoupment plan in place.”

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