Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. We are in an electoral cycle now. One of the things I regard as very poor form from this House is the information provided to candidates on the implications that may affect them on election to the Parliament, whether it is to the Dáil or the Seanad. In my case, when I got elected to this House I took a salary hit of €10,000 annually. Despite membership of this House being based on people bringing their professional expertise to it based on the panel they are elected to, legislation and statutory instruments were written during the crisis from 2008 to 2013 and one of those statutory instruments prevents Members of this House employed in education from continuing in their educational role. In my case, that cost me €10,000 each year. I should have been informed of the implications of being elected to the House before I was elected. Other colleagues have suffered salary hits of as much as €20,000 a year. A member of the public seeking election to this House should never have to sacrifice income as a result of it.

There are issues with respect to salaries for Members of this House and issues with respect to pensions. In my case, I make full pension contributions, and I have been obliged to do so for 20 years of service in this House, but I will not qualify for a pension at the end of my service. I will get a paltry sum to make up the difference. Turning to PRSI, this aspect, too, was brought in during the days of FEMPI. It is widely accepted that the PRSI rate inflicted on Members of this House, members of the Judiciary, the Attorney General and the President under class K is unconstitutional, yet the issue continues to be fought. We need to do that.

I support Senator McDowell regarding his call to have a referendum to cap the number of TDs elected. We cannot continue to see the Chamber grow over and over, up to as many as 1,000 people in future. If we are going to run a referendum on the number of TDs, though, we should also increase the number of Ministers. It is outrageous that some Ministers are carrying three and four portfolios. We should have Ministers assigned to a single job overseeing a single Department. I would have no difficulty in supporting such a referendum. I know there may not be great public taste for doing so and that people see Ministers as being well-off, looked after and whatever, but we need Ministers who are on top of all of their brief all of the time.

Regarding the Minister's Department, there are times when I have found its overarching reach to be limiting, to put it that way, with respect to what we can do in the public service. The Department,, must be admired for what it did during the crisis in this country but perhaps it is now time to revert to having a single Ministry for finance.

I support this Bill and everything about it, apart from that last aspect. I ask that we take on board the provision of an information booklet for people seeking election. As soon as people come into this House, they should get an information booklet detailing their terms and conditions of employment and how those terms and conditions impact. It is what any good employer would do. I think we are sometimes afraid to do things like this because we are afraid of a public backlash. The public will never lash back over what they see as reasonable.