Pay, Perks and Privileges of Politicians

Hillel

BroomBurner wrote: »

They are talking about all of this though. How about joining in the march on the 21st of Feb so to show your outrage at the complete and utter uselessness of the government?
There's a chance for you to show your outrage and march for what you believe in.
Or is it just easier to type on a forum?

I have already explained, in this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=59014943#post59014943, why I won't be joining the march.

jimmmy

BroomBurner wrote: »

Another plan was to cut 5000 PS jobs. However, they didn't state how they would go about this, or from where. Just the nice round figure of 5000.

The public service, as everyone knows, is way overstaffed for our population of only 4 to 5 million. Let 40,000 public servants go, we cannot afford to pay them their large salaries, sick pay, holidays + pensions.

Hillel

I started this thread to build up a comprehensive picture of all the Pay, Perks and Privileges available to politicians. The follow-on was to be identifying where cutbacks in this area could be legitimately targeted. Surely, cutbacks here are preferable than, say, cutbacks in Special Needs support.

Is there any interest in keeping this going or should I let the thread die?

thomasj

jimmmy wrote: »

The public service, as everyone knows, is way overstaffed for our population of only 4 to 5 million. Let 40,000 public servants go, we cannot afford to pay them their large salaries, sick pay, holidays + pensions.

originally as of the last two years it wasnt overstaffed it was badly run and now as a result of it been badly run it is overstaffed

thats not including the waste staff ministers have in their own offices amount of consultants and the overfunded tribunials we have paid for the last ten years or so not the mention the salaries of politicians and senior civil servants.

Not to mention some of those state agencies that while they were useful to the public be honest we cant afford them. With regards to the pensions situation that money will go into the banks i cant see how else they are gonna get it the original nest egg of contributions of those who were paying their pension.

On a side note ps cs before 1995 dont say their pensions those recruited 1995 onwards do. This needs to be looked at we simply cant afford it.

Hillel

This is tiresome, and off topic.

(Why does every single thread on this forum have to end up as a public sector vs. private sector debate. Yes there are issues to be debated, but not ad infinitum.)

Dannyboy83

The_Minister wrote: »

It's not being ignored allot of them took a 10% pay cut, have had their expenses restricted, and apparently they are going to lose more soon.

Excluding trips to Texas and Florida you mean?

thomasj

Article in the times 5th feb

Home » Ireland » Pension levy - fallout »

MARK HENNESSY and MARY MINIHAN

GOVERNMENT PAY: THE GOVERNMENT’s decision to impose pension levies on State employees will cost TDs nearly €10,000 a year, while Ministers will lose nearly €20,000 annually.



This drop in Ministers’ income will be in addition to the 10 per cent pay cut they have already accepted.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said senior public servants, including some members of the Oireachtas, who had volunteered to take a salary cut could now have their full salary restored.

Their contribution to assisting the public finances could now be made through the new pension levy, he said.

However, Government Ministers had decided to continue with their 10 per cent voluntary pay cut in addition to paying the new pension contribution of 9 per cent.

“We believe that those in positions of leadership in all parts of the country should and must lead by example,” he said.

In a separate development, Independent MEP Kathy Sinnott has said she will take a 20 per cent pay cut and has written to all Irish MEPs, TDs and Senators asking them to do the same.

She has urged them to join her outside the front gates of Dáil Éireann at noon next Tuesday, when she will instruct the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas to reduce her salary.

Irish MEPs’ wages are paid by the Oireachtas at the same rate as TDs and Senators (€7,791 a month for 2008), while expenses and staff costs are covered by the European Parliament, according to a spokeswoman for the European Parliament office in Ireland.

After the upcoming European elections in June, a new statute will come into force and most MEPs will be paid by the European Parliament at a standard rate of €7,339.

Ms Sinnott said: “This month so many people are being made unemployed, they are taking 100 per cent pay cuts. I’m not looking for personal glory.”

A move by MEPs, TDs and Senators to surrender a fifth of their salaries could “hopefully take pressure off lower paid public servants” and pressure senior private executives “to catch the bug”.

In her letter, Ms Sinnott wrote: “We all know that there are difficult times ahead and I truly believe that the only way to tackle these successfully is to put ‘politicking’ and political manoeuvring aside.”

Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kennedy has called on judges to take a 10 per cent pay cut. Under the Constitution, the pay of judges cannot be reduced during their term of office and none of them accepted a reduction after the Budget.

However, Mr Kennedy said the judges could make a gift of a percentage of their salary to the State “if they wish to assist in the resolution of this economic crisis”.

“It is important now, more than ever, that everyone plays their part in leading us out of this recession and I would strongly urge our country’s judges to step up to the plate and agree on a universal 10 per cent cut within their field,” he said.

nesf

Ms Sinnott said: “This month so many people are being made unemployed, they are taking 100 per cent pay cuts. I’m not looking for personal glory.”

Yeah right, we need less of the cheap populism and more actual serious debate on what the best course of action is. Not that I'd take anything Sinnott says about the economy or the recession seriously or anything.

galwayrush

Stop rewarding failure, failure to do ones job properly should disqualify any binding contract . Fraud squad needs to be involved. Anyone who fecks up should loose all benifits and have to manage on a standard pension of 205 euro per week, just like honest hard working people have to manage on.

Hillel

At last there's some some progress in getting Oireachtas salaries reduced from their stratospheric levels.

However, there's no sign of any move on the perks and privileges.
I for one, will keep up the pressure, relentlessly.
And no, not only through boards - thats just a hobby.

I have emailed all my local TD's and spoken to two personally.

TomRooney

The_Minister wrote: »

It's not being ignored allot of them took a 10% pay cut, have had their expenses restricted, and apparently they are going to lose more soon.

Minister the fact you even attempt to defend the ludicrous rate of pay the TDs get in ireland is absolutely sickening, have you forgotten the pay rise they gave themselves last year, even with the 10 percent decrease they are still on more than they were 2 years ago, what a bloody joke.

it is only in this nation of goms that the TDs would get away with the likes of this, sure half the cabinet are on a bigger salary than President Barrack Obama and he runs the most pwerfull democracy on the planet.

this can never ever be justified under any circumstance, if the Political classes are not genuine about there desire to serve the people then they should leave office, if money is there motivation let them get a job in the private sector, the days of them having there pie and eating it should be put to an end.

to quote Padraig Pearse, Beware of the thing that is coming Beware of the risen people for they will take what you would not give them.

these corrupt self servers can not get away with it forever God`s Speed to the day when the ordinary people stop complaining and start acting.