Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I am trying to be fair and to understand why these decisions were made. On salaries of €200,000 per year, with State cars and drivers escorting them from A to B, it is difficult while networking in the golden circle for Ministers to understand what it is like for families on the ground and to understand the fear and anxiety these measures are causing. That is a problem in politics and one of our proposals was a substantial pay cut for all Ministers, Deputies and Senators. The 15% reduction is a Mickey Mouse cut, given it includes a 10% reduction taken months ago. The Taoiseach and Ministers should not earn more than €100,000. We should be privileged to do what we do in the Oireachtas. The Taoiseach will still earn €240,000 annually following this pay cut. However, a group of 15 people with combined wages of millions of euro decided to take €16 a month off children. It is appalling and despicable and this is terrible legislation.

The Minister will defend this but because every Member is fair and wants to do the right thing, I cannot understand why other proposals for savings presented by my party and others to bridge the deficit by taxing those with massive wealth were not considered. Irish investors in recent months bought $50 billion in US debt. We are repeatedly told the country is broke but that is not the case. The State is broke but there is massive wealth within it and the Government is allowing that wealth to go untouched. I do not understand that. I oppose the section and the only way to respond is for people to get angry.