David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is the greatest red herring I have encountered in a long time - talk about diversionary tactics. I take the average industrial wage. I employ somebody. I have taken somebody off the live register and I pay them €300 per week, which comes out of my salary. I do that voluntarily, not to get any credit. I do it because I provide an enhanced constituency service.

I welcome the fact that office holders, as the Minister put it, have forfeited any increases that may be due to them, but logically it should follow that the same should happen in the case of Deputies. Why should Deputies get pay restoration on 1 April next? When the legislation was first brought to the House we put forward amendments to reduce Deputies' pay to €75,000. We voted against the provisions that allowed this to happen in the first place and in a few weeks we will bring forward a motion that will again seek to stop these unfair payments to Deputies. This is not because I do not believe that people should be paid fairly but because I believe it is unfair that somebody on €30,000 or €40,00 per year, an average wage in the public sector, is getting pay restoration of €1,000 while Deputies are expected to take €5,400. It is simply not fair and the Minister must accept that.

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