David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to talk generally on the issue of public service pensions because it is not just a question of so-called civil servants. What is forgotten in this House, or perhaps happens as a result of cowardice, is the remuneration and pension arrangements for Members of this House. They should be taken into account. I would point out to the Minister of State that in an extraordinary move, the late Brian Lenihan removed, with the stroke of a pen, the long service increment attaching to Members of this House. I do not think there is another job in the country that does not have a long service increment. It is an extraordinary situation and it certainly does not cost the State a huge amount of money. I am about the only person to raise this because I do not care what the public thinks because the public does not think. I was listening to the wireless this morning and people were talking about the Dáil bar. Apparently, the Dáil bar is where we all get free drinks, is heavily subsidised by the taxpayer and is where we meet our constituents. I have never heard a greater load of rubbish in my life and, as I have said before, if Members of this House gave away all their money to St. Vincent de Paul, cast off their clothing and jumped off the roof of Leinster House, the public would simply not give a damn.We should have a system where the income of Members of this House is brought back. We are talking about civil servants. My heart goes out to the people who are under €30,000 or whatever it is. Then we have people at €60,000, €60,000 to €100,000, €100,000 to €150,000, and €150,000 plus. These are the civil servants. We are the elected representatives of the people of Ireland. Are we too gutless to show some sense of our own dignity and what we are worth? I spoke this morning on the Order of Business about the work done by Senator Mark Daly and others of us in this House in creating a situation where an Irish Sign Language is recognised for the first time.

In this session, I have repeatedly drawn attention to the measures initiated here and the extraordinarily valuable work that the Seanad has done that the Dáil has not done. We should have respect for our own dignity. I would like to ask the Minister of State to take back to Government my strong feelings and the strong feelings that are reflected in private conversations between myself and other Members of the House about the way in which we are treated and the ridiculously small allowances.

I said this not only about the Seanad. I have also pointed out that people bellyache about the Taoiseach. Whatever he gets I do not know and I do not care. He gets a hell of a lot less than middle managers in most big companies in this country. They are only dealing with decisions that affect their company. The Taoiseach, whatever party he comes from at any particular stage, is dealing with questions that involve the future, the welfare, and the dignity of the entire citizenry of Ireland. I have no problem with the Taoiseach being paid a proper decent remuneration.

I am very lucky in that I have been re-elected eight times. There are others who have not been so lucky. It is a problematic and perilous career as the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, young and all as he is, knows. One can be cast out very easily. I know this is an unpopular stance to take. However, I am just about the only person in this House who will take it. I took this opportunity to make the point and I want to make it really strongly. I ask the Minister of State to take this back to Government. It is time we got a bit of pay restoration for politicians. It will not be popular. However, the public will not remember it in a week's time. No matter what we do they will regard it with complete and total indifference. Thanks to the impact of a completely negative media about politicians, they will continue to have a dim view of us. The kind of stuff that I heard this morning about free drinks in the Dáil bar. That was absolutely typical of the utter abysmal ignorance of the majority of Irish people about the function of Parliament and the way in which we are remunerated.