Echo Opinion: Politicians wages now higher than in boom times
WE MAY be a small country but we have a lot of well-paid politicians to represent us.
The news that TD’s salaries are now higher than they were in the boom may have passed you by but it does bear some scrutiny.
TD’s have now seen their salaries rise by €3,634 to €93,599.
The Deputies were expecting to see their pay return to the old rate of €92,672 by receiving an extra €2,707 from January 1.
The expected rise was in line with the Haddington Road deal.
But in fact our politicians are getting an extra €927 more than they did with the arrival of the IMF in 2010.
At the end of 2017 legislation became law that saw Dail deputies along with public servants get a one per cent pay rise.
Our Senators will also be earning an extra €966 to increase their salaries to €66,277.
In fairness it must be pointed out that TD’s from Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats along with some independents such as Michael Fitzmaurice and Fine Gael’s Noel Rock and Hildegarde Naughton have pledged to give any pay rises back to the state.
Most employees in the private sector are lucky to be earning now the same as they did in the boom, not more.
As the country turns into a period of uncertainty with Brexit on the horizon, it behoves our political masters to show a little moral courage and to eat some financial humble pie.
They don’t need these pay raises. They are well paid enough as it is.
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