SOCIAL Democrats leader Holly Cairns has repaid €8,534.29 in travel and accommodation expenses, mistakenly paid to her while on maternity leave.

The Cork South West TD continued receiving her full monthly Oireachtas expenses of €4,478.50 from November 2024 to February 2025, including a €2,782.92 travel and accommodation allowance (TAA).

It is understood Deputy Cairns thought the allowance would be suspended after notifying the Oireachtas of her leave as she was no longer travelling to Dublin during that time.

She discovered in early March 2025 that the payments were continuing, contacted officials and arranged for them to stop, with the money later repaid.

A Social Democrats spokesperson said: 'These travel and accommodation expenses were not claimed by Deputy Cairns.

'They were automatically paid into her constituency bank account following her election at the end of November 2024.'

The spokesperson added: 'The TAA that Deputy Cairns received up to that point - for December 2024 and January and February 2025 - was refunded.'

The party leader and TD, who kept her constituency office open during maternity leave, was the first Oireachtas member to take the leave under legislation introduced in late 2024.

But the expenses system made no provision for maternity-related absences, requiring her to submit sick certificates to account for missed days in Leinster House.

TDs must attend for at least 120 days a year to receive the full travel allowance.

A 1% deduction applies for each day below that threshold.