Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The sentiments behind these amendments are understandable. It is important to iterate, however, that there is a very strong bias in this legislation towards the lower paid. Another important point is that public servants in general, at every level, took significant cuts as a result of the various FEMPI Bills. The point was made on Second Stage that although more is going back to the lower paid, everybody is getting something back. It is more a statement of gratitude and appreciation for the work all civil and public servants have done and the Minister, rightly, has put the emphasis on the lower paid.

Oireachtas Members are public servants and our pay is linked to a pay grade within the public services. Deputies are linked to principal officers, Senators are linked to Deputies and councillors are linked to Senators. The independence of that link is valuable and it should be retained rather than going down the road of a commission that would evaluate the work of public servants. As Senator Mooney noted, there is a danger in asking for the work that is done by Oireachtas Members to be appropriately recognised. The best thing is to have a link with the public service generally. The work we do is a public service role and that is where it rightly belongs. As I said, the sentiment behind the amendments is understandable but it is also misplaced. We are public servants and we, like others, have given up of our salaries. We are not getting a lot back now but we are getting back what is appropriate to people of our pay grade. It is the same for all public servants.