that's a 'gift' us taxpayers are giving to the TD's - tax free, on top of all the the other tax free allowances: daily travel and subsistance allowance ( unvouched, no receipts required) , overnight allowance (even if TD has own apartment etc in dublin (unvouched, no receipts required)), secretarial allowance, telephone allowance, allowance to run their constitutency, mobile phone allowance, project allowances....
many of these allowances are given to their own family etc..who 'work' for them..
oh, and they get a MASSIVE pension after only 20 years...
and they set their OWN salary levels and increases..
also they and their family get free parking in Dail, city centre FOR LIFE!!!
and there's more....sadly, so much more...but you will never force the TD's/Senators to account for themselves, so they continue to milk you...