Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

That is a deeply regrettable response. For the Minister for Education and Skills sitting next to the Minister to be nodding his head in agreement is also rather ironic. The prohibition of bonuses in the banks is enthusiastically supported when it relates to the high flyers and the fat cats who devastated our economy with their reckless lending and gambling. Their bonuses ranged between €60,000, €70,000, €100,000 and €250,000. The bonuses in question here are for workers on €26,000 per annum. The Minister is denying them a gross of €2,000 as the 13th instalment. Clerical staff on €34,000 per annum are being cut a gross bonus of €2,600. These bonuses have also been cut the day before they were due. The Minister will know how families will have already prepared to spend that money for the Christmas. This was not a bonus and the arrangement obtained for 45 years.

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