Referendum pay rates

I don’t overly mind but particularly considering outside of Dublin were paid last week and we were specifically emailed to say we would be paid today and no communications to say otherwise it’s a bit unfair on us, and they’ll be relying on us to work again in June and the general election.

Even an email with an apology it’ll be another few days etc would be appreciated

Yeah, but they got it down to a solid 2 week in recent years. Even the South Dublin By-Election during COVID was done in less than 2 weeks.

I've done every Referendum, National & Local Election, Presidential Election, etc in past decade or so. And apart from the first one it's never gone over the 3 week mark.

But another issue is the calibre of people. They've always been great applicants who stay on year on year.

This year was a bit of a mess & loads of them didn't even turn up. I got a call at 8pm Thursday evening looking for people, & again on the day I got another early morning call needing people. Even another Polling Station called me because they were 2 people short.

That's never happened before. It used to be a position that candidates were lining up for. And it was a privilege to get your name in the list. I'm talking even in recent years.

So if they leave people waiting on payment, then thats more people that won't want to bother doing it again.

The first time I ever did it they took months to pay. Not even exaggerating.

After that it was 7-10 days.

But I originally got it through my Brother & his Wife. They stopped doing it because they are both Civil Servants & the payment method. changed for them.

It used to be all Teachers & Civil Servants, and nobody else got a look in. It was really difficult to get into.

For some reason Teachers stopped. I'm not sure why. You still get the odd teacher but they're mostly retired.

Civil Servants stopped because they stopped paying them directly afterwards like we would get paid, & instead it gets paid into their Pension.

So they have to take a day off work, then it goes into their Pension which they won't see for decades. Which makes it a waste of time really.

There used to be a rule about Retirees not being allowed do it once they hit Retirement age, but that seems to be gone now. Coz one Station I worked at had nearly all Retirees as Presiding Officers.

Right up until 2019 or 2020 the calibre of worker was still very good. It was still difficult to get someone on the list, & the only new faces were older people getting their kids involved.

Suppose I did the same by putting my kids down for it.

Even the South Dublin By-Election was still good candidates.

But after that it changed from the Sheriff's Office in Temple Bar to the Office on Fitzwilliam Square, & the quality of candidates completely changed. This time around people just didn't seem to care about it. The Office were taking any names you gave them.

I put one person forward. But it was someone I really trusted & knew wouldn't let me down. Anyone I was unsure about I just didn't mention it to.

But as I said, that Training was embarrassing.y guess was probably half weren't going to turn up.

It was always about doing a good job & getting yourself on the list going forward. Then maybe getting other like minded people on board.

I don't know what changed.

Btw got paid at midnight so happy days.

Only paid about €3 in USC & that's it. Rest was untouched by Tax.

Which gives me an idea regarding people getting different Rates for Presiding Officer.

By any chance did they work out the Gross Payments so that Officers cleared a set amount? So that it was PRSI free? Meaning paying more or less in some cases, so they all cleared the set amount?

To my knowledge there are just set amounts for all 3 positions. Poll, Officer & Supervisor.

But as they can see your Tax paid year to date, could they have tried to pay you in a way that means you clear the quoted amount?

If that makes sense.

That might add up. Tbh it didn't make sense at all to me at all.

They both work in the same Department & I thought it might be seen as inappropriate that they work there & do Elections, as it opens it up to accusations & Conspiracy Theories.

But by that reckoning I'm his brother & still work there, as does her father & some of her siblings. So if that was the case we'd most likely all be too close.

If I can find anything else out. It might be pay related as you say, as the last few Civil Servants that were there when I started all left the same year. So it might be another financial reason.

Not sure why the Teachers left. My Mother used to do it back in the 1980's & it was mostly Teachers. Obviously that's decades before I started.

But nowadays the only Teachers are Retired ones. It might be just that they got first refusal as they were held in schools.

Or maybe it pushed them over the Tax Bracket do wasn't worth it.

But Teachers & Civil Servants ran the show for years. And now there's none.

273.. but was told on phone it was 373 when they offered me position . It is what it is but just wanted to find out was this what everyone got !

Well Net pay was a disaster. Be interesting to see what I get back. I might change my tune then

The presiding officer I did it with got almost 900 for referendum day and count

Im so undecided as well. I like doing it but the money is shocking now. Nearly get as much a day for my normal job