Fiona O'Malley (Independent)

It is a matter of considerable regret that this motion is before the House. I place the blame largely on the three individuals who have chosen not to do the honourable and decent thing. The three speakers who have just contributed hit the nail on the head. This is total political opportunism and this is one of the reasons I will not support the Fine Gael motion. It will not deliver anything. I am reminded of the phrase "May the Lord make me virtuous, but not yet". It is ringing in my ears from Fine Gael and the Labour Party. I simply do not believe this is the right way to address the matter. It is a matter of individual conscience. To date, two former Ministers or Ministers of State who remain Members have refused to give up their pensions. That is wrong. A third person has left the Houses of the Oireachtas. However, to echo the phrase used by Senator Quinn, which I liked, he is still with the same employer, i.e. the State. That person is in a slightly different position but nonetheless it is a question of what we do when times are straitened. Entitlements are all very well and we can all take the view we are entitled to this, that and the other. I accept the Government's bona fides and the line that advice has come from the Attorney General but sometimes we are asked to rise above the normal reaction in such situations. We may cling to our entitlements for as long as we do but the ship is going down and it shows character if one does the right thing at such a time. I do not know how any of them can continue to take their stated positions. They may put forward a good argument in respect of why they are not going to succumb to pressure. However, I do not believe it is exclusively media pressure. There has been an element of that and politicians are easy and unfair targets in a situation such as this. We do not help ourselves by arguing with each other about the matter.

To echo Senator Quinn's phrase again, many people are still with the same employer. For example, I refer to retired Secretaries General of Departments who go on and are in receipt of money. Such people may have pensions as a result of being retired Secretaries General and have then gone on to various organisations such as NAMA. Such people are now receiving good money. That is why I do not like the way politicians are addressing the issue. We are attacking ourselves with such a motion. What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. If it is not appropriate for one then it should not be appropriate for any person in receipt of a public pension and public salary. People should not have both and the standard should be the same for everyone. I am disgusted by the three Members who have chosen not to do the right thing by their country. Naturally, they are entitled to it and it is a matter of individual conscience.

Senator Quinn alluded to the borrowing levels in the country. Did they stop for one minute to think about that? They should think beyond what they have received themselves and consider the sacrifices everyone is being asked to make. As politicians, we are subject to a higher level of exposure and we must be more sensitive to public attitudes. It does us no good to find people clinging to their entitlements as we see the ship of State in such choppy waters. At such times, we must rise above the situation and do what is honourable and decent. However, I will not award a Pyrrhic victory to the Opposition by supporting its motion because there is nothing to be gained by it. I regret that the three people have insisted on the motion going forward. They did not do the honourable thing for their country and for nobody else. Politics is a noble profession. When people do things like this, they do not serve the noble cause.