John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

That is not evidence of what somebody said, it is what is said in the media. Neither is it particularly helpful to say the Government will do anything to help the banks. The Government will do anything to help this economy and the way to do that is through the banks. Whether we like it or not, the way to get funding and capital into the economy is through the banking system. There is no other way. I do have anxieties but I am certain that they will not materialise. Sometimes, people who do not understand how we operate our business are looking at how we operate and are making suggestions. It is important that when people look at how we do our business here, they should understand that there is an element of flexibility. There is also a sword hanging over us and if we do not do our work properly we will be gone at the next election. From the perspective of people worrying about clocking in and out, I do not think they need to worry because I do not see that materialising. However, there must be some way of ensuring attendance. Heretofore we had a system whereby one received an allowance for attending; under the new system of composite payment there would need to be a row-back if people were not genuinely here for committees when the Houses are not in session. I cannot understand why we would have to clock in at any other time. We have always had to attend to receive allowances when the Houses were not in session.

There is one further aspect of which I am conscious. People who still do not understand how we operate may look at our terms and conditions and allowances and think they are quite generous. They are, if one is a paid employee with no expenses. We are more similar to self-employed people. We have telephone bills and other additional costs. Members have referred to subscriptions they have given on an annual basis which represent a high percentage of their salaries. It is important that those in the Department of Finance understand that the average term here is 11 years. In what other job does one not know from day to day whether one will be in a job in the next term?

We must be exceptionally careful to ensure people realise that the expenditure is necessary for what we do and, in some cases, it is less than we need. I know for a fact that some people have telephone bills of €600 and €700 per month. I do not doubt that we must lead by example. However, it should never be allowed to happen that only those who are well off can afford to become involved in politics. It must remain available to all sectors of the community. If we cut too tightly into the allowances which allow for the fact that we are to some extent self-employed, we are putting at risk the ability of people to become involved in politics. Notwithstanding that, I welcome the amendment and the changes that are about to take place. However, those who are making decisions sometimes do not understand how we operate.