Dáil debates

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

2:35 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have already said to the House that I will be gifting back €25,000 as a result of yesterday's decision. I have no difficulty in doing that. I am happy to gift it back to the State. It is coming from the salary I would have been entitled to receive at the commencement of my term as Taoiseach. I have also said that on an ongoing basis and at different times, I have gifted back parts of salary and gifted back an entire severance to the State. Again, I have no difficulty with doing that.

On the more general question of payment to public representatives, I take a rather different view from that of the Deputy. In terms of the pay of Deputies, for example, I understand it has been tied to the grade of principal officer for quite a number of years. That is the right thing to do. If politicians get into a competition as to who can bid lower, I think that would be detrimental to politics in general and, ultimately, would lead to more wealthy people becoming politicians, or wealthier parties with external sources of funding supporting their members, and fewer Independent Deputies getting elected on their own and fewer members of smaller parties which do not have the resources that some parties in this House have. Some parties in this House are far wealthier than others. In my view, there has to be a proper, proportionate approach to the payment of public representatives which guarantees the independence of this House from external influences and enables people to be elected.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.