Ah here...
Unpaid Dáil bar tabs have had to be written off in Leinster House after it was decided the prospect of recovering the sums was unrealistic.
According to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission annual report, which was delivered to TDs and Senators last week and is available to read online, a review of all outstanding balances for the catering facilities was carried over the last two years.
The catering facilities in the Dáil include a members' restaurant, a self-service restaurant, a coffee stall and two separate bars.
"A series of efforts had been made to recover the sums due but in some cases, it was acknowledged that the records were incomplete," the report said.
The report, brought to our attention by
The Irish Times, continued to state that, "Overall there was no realistic prospect of recovery of the sums due."
Under new plans, the report said that the current tab facility available to TDs and Senators in Leinster House, which has no specific time period to settle unpaid tabs, would be changed to a revised credit policy which would restrict the time period in which a debtor is to discharge a bill.
The report did not name which members of the Oireachtas had failed to settle their bills so it's unclear whether they're sitting or former TD's and Senators who owe the sums.
It was noted by the Commission that the amount involved was very small in the overall context of the bar and restaurant receipts.
