Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, from a councillor's point of view, more has been achieved for Travellers and their rights by this committee than by councils. Councillors are being treated like second-class citizens in respect if their pay. It is not certainly not the Minister of State's doing, and he has been frank with all elected members. He has been frank With our Fianna Fáil team regarding what he hopes to achieve, and he has laid it out to us in the Seanad on a number of occasions. The report, however, lets him down slightly because there were more specifics in some of his contributions in the Seanad than in what has been outlined in the report. I appreciate Ms Moorhead is not trying to hamstring herself and prove a case for wages, pay and so on, but heretofore we had talked about matching the pay with that of a grade III or grade IV civil servant. That is on record but it is not specified in the document, where it has been kicked to touch more than ever.

The savings from putting people first that the European Commissioner and former Minister, Phil Hogan, had outlined, which were accumulated from the town councils and county councils, is approximately €25 million to €30 million per annum, which is a significant sum. If we were to increase the figure of €17,500 for the 950-odd councillors by €10,000, which would bring the figure close to €30,000, in rough figures, it would cost approximately €9.5 million. If we did that and increased the pay, it would then be up to the councillors in regard to what tax bands or whatever else they fall into. That is their own kit and kaboodle at that stage. Councillors would find a way, by cutting back on secretarial work, jumping around in their second jobs or whatever else has to be done. If the councillors are paid, they will find a way to accommodate everything else. A fair wage for fair work is all we want, and I appreciate everything the Minister of State is trying to do.