The Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald says she takes home less than the average industrial wage.

In an exclusive interview with Newstalk, Ms McDonald says her take home pay is just €24,000 after tax.

It comes after a number of Sinn Féin's elected representatives had been found to be taking home significantly more than the average industrial wage they promised to take.

Dublin North West TD Dessie Ellis takes the full TD salary of more than €94,000 - while MEP Liadh Ni Riada admitted during the Presidential election that her take home pay was €60,000.

There has been a long-standing tradition in the party of taking only the average industrial wage.

However that was reviewed two years ago after complaints from elected officials.

Ms McDonald says they have a "recommended wage that sits at €41,000 a year."

However she said "it's not enforced. The party would have no authority legally to enforce it."

Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis on the plinth at Leinster House in 2016 | Image: RolingNews.ie

The party position is now that individual circumstances come into play when someone decides what they take home of the €94,500 TDs salary.

Mr Ellis decided to take all of it after arguing that he could not afford to live in Dublin on the average industrial wage.

Ms McDonald says she takes home just €24,000 after tax. That is roughly €28,000 gross.

She gives €2,500 a year back to the party and the rest - roughly €64,000 - is spent on running her two constituency offices in Dublin.

Ms McDonald also takes advantage of a €9,000 allowance for travel and accommodation and can access up to €20,000 in vouched expenses as part of her Public Representatives Allowance, which can be used for spend on the running cost for constituency offices.

Pressure will now come on other Sinn Féin TDs, Senators and MEPs to reveal how much they take home.

None of them responded to a recent Irish Independent survey asking how much they earn.