Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Quinn as ucht a chuid ama a roinnt liom. I wish to support the Fine Gael motion although it is politically opportunistic. As I stated last week on the Order of Business, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Fianna Fáil were all up to their necks in this until last week, when the parties realised the media and the mob, if one wishes to call it that, was coming after them and they needed to give up their pensions and do the right thing. It is wrong that at present there are three former Ministers or Ministers of State serving either in the European Parliament or in the Oireachtas who are holding on to those pensions. However, it was equally wrong that this position was taken last week or ten days ago by the Deputy Leader of Fine Gael or other senior members of the Labour Party and it was wrong that this was taking place across the board in these parties several years ago. As we have heard, people have raised these issues for many years.

I have raised the issue of teachers in receipt of salaries and top-ups and the difference between the remuneration of a lower grade teacher coming in to replace a Member who has left his or her job. All of that is wrong and people are sick, sore and tired of the issue. This is why there is so much anger because people have seen the shenanigans that have unfolded in the political system. They have seen the junkets, bonuses, the scandal over expenses and now they see the issue of pensions.

It is with regret that I note two of the three former Ministers or Ministers of State remaining who have not bowed to a common sense attitude and given up the pensions at this point or gifted them back to the State, are from Donegal. "Gift" is a horrible word and I do not believe they should have been entitled to these benefits in the first place. This is turning people away from politics. God knows there are enough difficulties in trying to convince people that as legislators we can make a change, that there is hope, that people who enter into the political arena have a vision and that people should not brand us all with the one brush. However, when such events unfold, it adds to the frustrations that exist and to the cynicism about politics. In addition, the Government will not even ask its fellow party members to hand over the pensions, knowing full well that the country is up a creek without a paddle. We need people to pitch in and to be patriotic, as we have heard in the past, but somehow these people believe they are entitled to double salaries to deal with whatever moats, pools or other luxuries they have become used to over many years.

I support the motion. However, I believe it is too little, too late and the damage has been done by all the parties to which I referred. The system is wrong and it goes to the core of what I believe requires change in terms of the salaries and remuneration of Deputies and Senators. I recall when the Minister for Finance introduced legislation to deal with vouched expenditure, he informed us in his press release that information would be available to the public. We are two months into the use of the new system and the information is still not freely available to the public. The media must go through the freedom of information process and that gives a sense that we are hiding something. All this must be dealt with and I support the motion.