Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House to debate reforming legislation, something she is bringing before us on a regular basis. I hesitate to disagree with the newly bearded Senator Norris that this is a PR exercise, but I must do so. It is easy to say that it is part of a PR exercise, but the Government has a responsibility to try to restore the destroyed political fabric and trust in political life. If the Government did absolutely nothing at all, then certainly nothing would change and the attitude and public respect would not alter. While we can say it is a PR exercise, if we look at it in the round - the Minister has outlined different pieces of legislation, some of which are pending and some of which are enacted - I think that over time, the kind of change that is being wrought will have an effect. I agree to some extent with the Senator. If we took off all our clothes and jumped off and said that we do not want any more money, they still would not care. However, there is a tipping point of action on this that we ought to make and I think this is one of those parts.

I again understand the Senator's point about the independent commission, and perhaps it is something we should discuss, but I think this was done in the UK and they recommended that MPs' pay ought to be higher.