FORMER taoiseach Bertie Ahern made a back claim for more than €9,000 in expenses just for showing up at the Dáil each day, it has emerged.

Ahern was close to missing a deadline for repayment of the so-called "turning up" allowance, amid widespread speculation he would forgo the extra cash.

Instead, a claim for €9,248.82 – which is supposed to be used to pay for travelling expenses – was paid to the ex-taoiseach, despite the fact he has a full-time garda driver.

The back claim was made in April of this year and was originally to cover a period between February of 2009 and the same month this year.

However, it was subsequently amended to cover a period between April 2009 and February of this year, documents obtained by the Sunday Tribune show.

During that period, Ahern claimed for a total of 157 daily allowances "to be recouped in respect of attendance in Leinster House".

In the same period, the ex-taoiseach somehow found time away from the Dáil to continue a number of well-paid side jobs.

Ahern was involved in a series of $50,000-a-time speaking engagements, launched his autobiography, wrote a lucrative newspaper column and served as director of Parker Green International, an inter­- ­national property development company until he resigned last month.

The former taoiseach also secured an appointment as chairman of a forestry fund, which is part-financed by a Swiss firm that specialises in offshore banking.

Ahern was not as active in the Dáil, however, and since stepping down as the country's leader has spoken only a single time without submitting a single parliamentary question.

Ahern, who has conceded in interviews that he has little to do these days, claimed €31,282 in expenses during the first nine months of this year.

The payments were made up of three separate claims for turning up at the Dáil, details sought under the Freedom of Information Act show.

A sum of €5,333 was paid out in the constituency office maintenance allowance and €950 more for a telephone allowance, the Houses of the Oireachtas said.

Since March, Ahern has been claiming under a new reformed expenses system and has been paid €2,250 a month.

The former taoiseach has received €15,750 under what is known as the "parliamentary standard allowance", as he has elected to opt for a lower rate for unvouched expenses.

The payment is contingent, however, on each TD and senator turning up for a sufficient number of days of parliamentary business each year.

Under the new arrangements, politicians are obliged to clock in each day using a key fob when they arrive in Leinster House.

A decision was made at the last meeting of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission that from this month on, all attendance records for TDs and senators would be published on its website.