Michael McCarthy (Labour)

We have all at some level or another been involved with the discussion on reforming the expenses system. It is my understanding that at the start of this year, a sensible proposal was put to the Minister for Finance by those on the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. That proposal is still just lying there. In the interests of accountability, transparency and, most importantly, the body politic, it is most important that whatever scheme or reform which is to take place is implemented immediately and everybody subscribes to it.

I will mention two anomalies. At the start of this year I and other people who served in this House over the last term and this term would have qualified for a long service increment. That was quite rightly stopped in July this year and we did not get it. The people who made the decision to stop it had already received a long service increment and did not forfeit it. It is a gross insult to those who have lost their jobs that serving Members of the Dáil and Seanad are in receipt of ministerial pensions.

We should bring everything to the discussion and we should all subscribe to the decision made, draw a line and move on in the interests of democracy and the body politic in particular. There is a strong anti-politics agenda being pursued by some elements of the media, and this should be avoided at all costs.