RTE viewers were left outraged following tonight's Prime Time episode that investigated local councillors claiming double expenses.

Prime Time compared claims made to local authorities with information from over 30 public bodies that found hundreds of councillors were found in breach of expense rules.

Speaking on the show Dr Aodh Quinlivan said: "If you're not asked to produce evidence for something, then, of course, that is subject to abuse.

"Expenses are meant to be a payment based on money that you have spent whether it's on travelling or subsistence going to an event. "

Many councillors wrongly claimed expenses from their local authority and from an external organisation for the same official absence leading to them getting double payments.

Twitter users took to social media to express their fury:

One person said: "It's easy for anyone to make multiple 'mistakes' in their expense claims. It is not, however easy to make all these mistakes to your advantage. It then becomes theft."

A second person said: "What's even more frustrating about this programme is that we all know that sweet f**k all will be done about it. #rtept"

Another person said: "So councillors expenses don't need to be vouched? Sure did they not get expenses for travel during Covid while sitting on their couches for virtual meetings?

"And if a person on social welfare got a €1 extra they were deemed not owed they would be called Welfare Cheats. #rtept"

A third person said: "There's people in this country who can't put a slice of bread on their table or don't have a roof over their heads tonight. Yet these muppets are claiming for being in 2 places at one time and getting it all, no questions asked. Disgraceful but not surprising #rtept"

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