Seanad debates

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

Councillors' Conditions: Statements (Resumed)

 

11:30 am

Photo of Paul CoghlanPaul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and I was glad to hear him on this matter when we discussed it last week. The nub of this is, as Senator Mac Lochlainn has just said, we need to pay councillors a decent living wage. Given the pressure that they are under they are almost expected to be full time. If we are going to attract the proper, talented and best people we are going to have to pay them properly. Otherwise, as we have seen, and Senator Boyhan has seen this, councillors in his area in South Dublin have dropped off because they could not afford it. They had to return to other jobs and that is a pity. There is the issue of the vouched and unvouched payments. If we could make it easier for them on an unvouched basis it would be preferable. They should be eligible for a pension of course when they reach retirement age. I very much welcome that, even though it is not happening yet but the Minister has committed to it, it will be put on a level with a Civil Service grade. Is that right?

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