upcoming budget thread, spare a thought for our politicians.

Ghandee

As the general public prepare for an upcoming budget that will see cuts to our services and indeed a reduction in living standards for most of us, spare a thought for our poor TD's and ministers who will no doubt have the unenviable task of making said cuts.

We've all seen articles in various places on how Enda Kenny is on a higher salary than not only his UK and French counterparts, but also on a higher salary than the person some might say is overseeing our bailout, Angela Merkel.

After reading this article, I now fully understand why the vast majority of other European countries wish to play 'hardball' with us.

The lavishly rewarded Government is ready to reduce the living standards of the less well off in the budget.


THIS WEEK and over the next few weeks the prospective €36 million pensioners (Cabinet members) will deliberate on the amount by which the living standards of the populace will be reduced, in particular the living standards, the welfare entitlements and the health and social supports of people living on incomes and supports that are a fraction of ministerial and TD incomes and supports. And then lavishly remunerated Fine Gael and Labour TDs will troop through the lobbies or press the relevant buttons from their Dáil benches to approve uncritically what their betters have decided on to make life more miserable for the unwell remunerated.

Yesterday’s revelation in The Irish Times that the pension pots of Enda Kenny, Eamon Gilmore, Phil Hogan and Brendan Howlin will all be worth more than €3 million, and that almost all Ministers stand to get severance handouts of up to €140,000, with an income from their pensions of more than €80,000, and that these (very) fat cats will take “tough” decisions that will devastate the lives of hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens, makes the spectacle of their doings grotesque. It is made all the more so by their protestations of how difficult it is for them to do the budgetary arithmetic and how they will not “flinch” (as Eamon Gilmore inelegantly puts it) from taking the tough decisions.

The scale of the preferment enjoyed by our rulers is spectacular. TDs are paid €92,672 per year, which is well over twice the average wage in society. Many of the 166 TDs are paid substantially more, bringing their total “take” to a significant multiple of the average wage and a huge multiple of the income of hundreds of thousands of people whose incomes they want to cut and are about to cut.

Enda Kenny is paid €200,000 a year, in contrast to his kissing pal, Angela Merkel, who is paid just €192,000; his new pal,François Hollande, who is paid €180,000; and another pal, David Cameron, who gets about €178,000. As Taoiseach, Enda gets driven around in a top-of-the range State car for free by two gardaí. He has helicopters and a government jet at his disposal and countless other perks.

Eamon Gilmore gets paid more than the president of France and the prime minister of Britain, €184,405. And on top of that there are lavish perks: a top- of-the-range State car driven by two Garda drivers (this in acknowledgment of his exalted status as Tánaiste!), generous expenses, and subsidised or free nosh. The government jet and helicopters are at his disposal, plus hotel accommodation at every stop-off on his regular trips abroad, limousines at airports to hurry him wherever he is going and some flunky to open and close car doors for him lest he be too exhausted from not flinching.

The other 13 Cabinet Ministers get salaries of €169,275 a year, plus expenses, subsidised nosh and, while they have to use their own cars, they get drivers and generous mileage allowances. Even after they are reimbursed for their hotel costs, when abroad, they get an extra €72.66 for subsistence. The Ceann Comhairle gets paid the same and gets many of the same perks, in return for his demanding job – chairing half the Dáil debates.

Ministers of State get €130,042 (two of them get €147,252) and the mileage expenses and drivers. Thirteen other TDs, who are chairpersons of Oireachtas committees, get an extra €9,500 on top of the €92,672. Nine TDs and Senators get the same on top of their salaries for being members of the Oireachtas Commission. Nine TDs get between €3,000 and €19,000 for being whips of their parties.

Then there are those pensions, of course, plus termination allowances; travel and accommodation allowances (between €12,000 and €37,850 a year, depending on the distance of their homes from Leinster House; but even if they were living across the road from Leinster House there would be an allowance of €12,000); additional or alternative mileage allowances graduated upwards according to the plushness of their cars; free access to a gym; free parking in a central Dublin location – and that is for life; a subsidised bar; free postage; free ink toners for their printers; free phone calls; free smartphones every year and a half; free VHI membership; free language lessons; up to €41,092 for secretarial assistance; and €8,000 to kit out a constituency office. All this to help them overcome the trauma of ruining the lives of people paid fractions of their “take”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1031/1224325936119.html?via=mr

The above article its common knowledge for many of us obviously. Still no easier to accept though, especially weeks away from the budget that we've been warned for ages now, 'will leave no one untouched'.

No one it would seem unless you're in govt.

Remember that post budget.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

****. The one time I'm first in and I can't think of a witty comment...

Ghandee

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

****. The one time I'm first in and I can't think of a witty comment...

You could do what I usually do.

Come back and edit it later

girl2

oh no

not again

rob the knickers offa everyone

Sappa

Ere not part of their plan,they consider us bottom feeders and deal us the scraps.
I've got no respect for any of them,it is the lowest form of person who enters into politics and they certainly aren't doing it for the greater good of the nation,lining there pockets with silver and stuffing their grubby hands in the states coffers any chance they get.

Max Power

girl2 wrote: »

oh no

not again

rob the knickers offa everyone

You'll gave a job getting 3GAINSBOROUGH's :pac:

EoghanIRL

Quickly before they add a tax on laughter

squod

A government (effectively) on the dole sets their own pay scale. Marvellous.