Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim buíoch as an deis labhairt ar an rún seo. Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta Cullinane as ucht an rún a chur faoi bhráid na Dála ar son Teachtaí Shinn Féin. Tá sé do-chreidte nach bhfuil Teachtaí Fhine Gael agus Teachtaí Fhianna Fáil chun a gcuid tacaíocht a thabhairt don rún os ar gcomhair. Mar a dúirt cainteoirí eile, the proposed salary increase for Deputies will bring their salaries to over €92,600 over the next 18 months. Ministers are in line to do even better. They will get €4,000 per year over the next two and a half years, an extra €11,735 in total. Not to be outdone, the Taoiseach is in line to do even better. He will get almost €5,000 per year next year, the year after and the year after that bringing his salary or that of his successor up to €200,000. This is at a time when young people have been told by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that all they are worth is an extra €2.70 per week and pensioners, carers, citizens with disabilities and others in receipt of social welfare are told they are worth just €5 extra per week.

This is not acceptable or fair. Deputies earn a basic salary of €87,258. We are very well paid. It is a wage the majority of workers will never earn. All the time, Ministers are telling gardaí, nurses and teachers to stop legitimately asking when their pay will be restored. They are arguing to get their pay restored. The average public sector worker on €40,000 per year will get pay restoration of €1,000 and the Government expects such workers to roll over and accept this, while Deputies will be paid €92,000 per year. A stop can be put to this tonight if Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil step up to the plate and show an ounce of leadership. Sin an rud ceart agus an rud cothrom le déanamh. Iarraim ar achan Theachta tacú leis an rún.

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