Dan Boyle (Green Party)

Regarding that €300 per week, I have the advantage of having been elected before the changes in the law in 2005. People newly elected to this Seanad, such as Senator Buttimer, and those elected to the other House after the legislation was passed will not be entitled to such a pension until they are older. I think this is a good change.

If an election is held in 2011, the money saved from 2009 to that year will amount to €1 million. I fear the impact of this Bill will be minimal. Due to a mythology that exists, there will be little public thanks for the passing of this legislation. We must look at the wider picture. I was formerly a community, youth and social worker and when I was elected to the other House in 2002 my new salary was a multiple of what I had earned. This does not reflect what others have said in this House. Within a short period I found myself with a significant sum in my bank account because I spent money like a person on a lower salary. However, I suddenly started spending money like a TD and found that my bank account was soon back at the level it had occupied before I was a Deputy.

During this debate others have referred to costs. I live some distance from the national Parliament, spend half the week in Dublin and continue to have a public office in my shadow constituency as a Member of the Seanad. The cost of all this is around €50,000 per year. Our expenses do not reflect this properly. We are paid too much for travel and accommodation and not enough for our offices and running costs. However, the figures probably add up to be the same anyway. If we want greater public acceptance we really need to change that system so as not to bring upon ourselves the public opprobrium felt towards the British Parliament. We need more openness and transparency and more legislation of this type. We should not see this as a way of winning public favour at a time when politics and politicians are not well thought of. It is a first small but important step towards greater reforms which are still necessary.