ROSCOMMON INDEPENDENT TD LUKE FLANAGAN CLAIMED HIS POOR VOTING RECORD IN HIS FIRST NUMBER OF MONTHS IN THE DAIL WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT PROPERLY UNDERSTAND DAIL PROCEDURES.

THE DEPUTY MISSED 8 VOTES , YET HAD SIGNED INTO THE DAIL ON EACH OCCASION.

DEPUTY FLANAGAN SAID ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE YESTERDAY THAT DURING THE TIME HE MISSED VOTES HE "WAS A NEW DEPUTY NOT ONE HUNDRED PER CENT AU FAIT WITH DAIL PROCEDURES".

HE ADDED: "IN FACT AT THE TIME I WAS ASKED BY SEVERAL MEDIA OUTLETS HOW I WAS FINDING THE DAIL. MY REPLY WAS QUITE CLEAR AND IT WAS THAT IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS I DID NOT KNOW MY PROVERBIAL FROM MY ELBOW.

"HOWEVER, IF ONE LOOKS AT THE VOTING RECORD FOR MAY THEN IT CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN THAT I HAVE VOTED 100PC OF THE TIME. THIS IS BECAUSE AT THAT STAGE I HAD A FAR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE DAIL WORKS."

THE PRACTICE OF MISSING VOTES YET SIGNING INTO THE DAIL BY TDS IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE ROSCOMMON DEPUTY.

YESTERDAY THE IRISH INDEPENDENT , REVEALED THAT MANY TDS WHO SIGNED IN FOR EXPENSES WORTH UP TO €38,000 ANNUALLY FAILED TO TAKE PART IN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF DAIL VOTES.