Dan Boyle (Green Party)

This legislation can be looked at from a number of angles. There is no doubt that for most of the history of this State the salaries of those involved in public life compared very badly with salaries in the private sector and in the upper reaches of the Civil Service. Systems were put in place to compensate for this, such as income tax at half the rate of ordinary workers and expenses and allowances that were hard to account for. Many theories exist as to how political representatives should be paid. Some people make a virtue of payment of the average industrial wage to public representatives, though I never hear these people suggesting payment of a minimum wage. After all there are wages above and below the average industrial wage. Another theory suggests that if one pays peanuts one gets monkeys but the history of this State shows many incompetent people in public life have received very high salaries. A high salary is no guarantee of success, in terms of public policy. It is always difficult to strike the appropriate balance.

In the past ten to 15 years we have sleepwalked into a situation where levels of pay for public representatives are linked to salaries in the private sector and higher reaches of the Civil Service. However, we have held on to the vestiges of old systems that should have been changed. This Bill is an attempt to make some of the necessary changes. Like Senator McCarthy, I would like to see the changes made in one clean sweep and I am conscious of the advice of the Attorney General as to how this should be done. I am also conscious that the legislation is framed to accept that advice.

I will repeat what I said elsewhere. In terms of the current economic situation, these changes show political solidarity with the lot of all citizens. There is also a need to readjust wages across the board and the public service must be part of this as we must re-establish competitiveness in our economy. The reality is that money paid to public representatives and politicians is out of sync with other countries. To achieve competitiveness in our society we must have rates of pay and systems of allowances that reflect the new reality and this Bill is a sincere attempt to address this.

The concept of paying pensions to serving politicians should be long gone. Members should not be allowed to hold on to jobs in the education system, though this Bill does not deal with the matter. At the same time, a myth has been created as to how, and the extent to which, people benefit. I was a candidate for a Government party in the recent European election and I have lost count of how many people told me that in the event of my leaving public life, I will be entitled to a considerable pension. As best I can work it out, it comes to €300 per week.