Seanad debates

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

Councillors' Conditions: Statements (Resumed)

 

11:30 am

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I recall when the issue of Deputies' pay came into the public domain a number of years ago. At that point, serving Members of the Dáil were earning more than €100,000 per annum. The Taoiseach was earning more than €300,000. People asked serious questions about the levels of pay Deputies were receiving. It was stated that if pay was to be cut significantly, it would mean that only the wealthy would be attracted to politics and that other people - small business people and those earning a certain amount - would be disinclined to go into politics. That was the reason given. The wage of a Deputy is now approximately €92,000. The Taoiseach earns approximately €250,000 or something of that nature. It is a huge amount of money.If one looks at our councillors, and I was proud to serve as a town councillor and then a county councillor, the reality is that people are being asked to be available 24-7 and deal with the most stressful of circumstances. Anybody who is a public representative knows that the types of phone calls one gets, the types of situations that one is faced with day in and day out are immensely difficult, challenging and very stressful. There was this huge disservice because for a number of years there were issues in politics for sure in terms of pay and expenses that needed to be challenged. I believe that in these Houses in some categories people are overpaid. However, it was deeply unfair to the significant majority if not the vast majority of what were town councillors and county councillors to listen to them being denigrated regularly by sections of the media suggesting that they were in it for the expenses and they were getting paid to go to funerals and wakes. It is disgusting because the vast majority of public representatives that I have been honoured to serve with since I became a town councillor in 2002 are entirely honourable decent people of all political parties and none. Nobody stood up to fight for them, nobody got in there and said this was wrong. It we are going to denigrate politics, people lose faith in the ability to have change and it is hugely damaging for democracy. The turnout at elections in this country again and again proves that we have a problem.

I strongly believe that city councillors and county councillors should have a wage, not linked to the way it is now. They should have an average industrial wage at the very least that would allow them to go full time if they wish. What we have done, and think about this, we have put in €5,000 of vouched expenses. At first read that looks pretty good. It is €5,000 to use for leaflets, advertisements, whatever it is to communicate. However, think about that. I started this talking about politics being for the rich man and woman. Local politics is definitely for the rich man and woman. It is an invitation because one can now give €5,000 to someone to do one's secretarial work and €16,500 is just a handy few bob, and one can show up at a couple of meetings and use the resources. In other words it is an invitation for local politics to be most advantageous to the very wealthy. In other words it becomes a hobby to be a public representative. They might get away with it. We are punishing large numbers of decent men and women who step up to be counted to take up the civic responsibility. For the reasons I have outlined it is often thankless work. It is denigrated and not fully appreciated. It is decent, honourable people taking up their civic role and we are just treating them with contempt with what we pay them.

I probably will not be standing for election to the Seanad looking for votes from county councillors in the next election. That will probably be the case one way or the other. I want to say that just in case anybody says I am speaking to the Gallery. I want to be clear that I am saying it from my own experience and from the councillors that I speak to and that I listen to. We are treating councillors with disrespect and with contempt, and we are playing into the hands of those who would denigrate democracy and accuse people of being in it for the expenses. That is a disgusting label to put on the vast majority of honourable people who serve us across the State.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.