TDs were paid expenses of over €500,000 in August during which the Dáil did not sit once.

Records published by the Oireachtas show TDs were paid over €528,000 to cover their travel costs and the costs of running their office in August.

The records also show that TDs only signed into Leinster House 269 times in August, which is an average of 1.5 times per TD for the entire month.

Meanwhile Senators were paid allowances of over nearly €150,000 for August - a month when the Seanad had only one day of business which was a debate on overturning an Irish law on organ transplants.

Travel and 'public representation' allowances are paid in equal installments throughout the year meaning the allowances do not necessarily reflect how busy a politician might be within a particular month.

The public representation allowance is also aimed at covering the costs of running a constituency office, which would also continue to operate through August even though the Oireachtas is in recess.

Only one TD (Eamonn Maloney of Labour) and four Senators - Ivana Bacik (Labour), Hildegarde Naughton (FG) and independents John Crown & Fiach Mac Conghail - declined to draw any allowances for the month.