Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We constantly refer to the pay of councillors. There is no master-servant relationship between the council and the elected councillor. The €16,950 is a representational payment, not a salary. Why in God's name are we treating it as such? Class K PRSI is a criminal form of taking money from people for nothing. Who in this room would buy an insurance policy knowing that he or she could never cash it in, draw down on it or make an input into it? Hence, I have readied a case on this matter that will go to the High Court if we do not see a quick change.

I hope that the committee we are agreeing to establish will set a timeline. No Senator wants to face councillors in the next election and tell them that we let them down again. I want us all to work together. This is not any one individual's issue. It is for all of us. We will be damned quick to tell those who elected us that we worked on their behalf. I hope that we all get stuck into this issue.

We are withdrawing our motion on the basis that, unlike our exclusion previously, we will have representation on this group. This is not an all-party group, but one for all Senators, including Independents. I wish the committee well. I hope we will establish its membership and so on tomorrow.