Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

Some of those chat show hosts could brighten up the day of many of their callers or listeners by taking a 10% or 20% cut in their incomes, particularly those on big contracts that may be paid for by the licence fee. I am not trying to be populist but I get weary of somebody who works 30 to 40 hours a month lecturing me and others. I am a little sick of it. We politicians should stand up for ourselves. We have to examine our practices. I do not know how many days the Dáil sits per year, 80 or 90, but I could tell Joe Duffy or Pat Kenny they work perhaps six or ten hours per week for 30 weeks per year. Most politicians work morning, noon and night. We may not be as productive as we think we are, and we must examine that. Let us stop the moaning.

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