Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Finance the return to the Exchequer if all Deputies' salaries were capped at €75,000. [35749/09]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Finance the return to the Exchequer if all Senators' salaries were capped at €60,000. [35750/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together.

Based on the current membership of both Houses of the Oireachtas, the estimated saving in a full year from capping salaries of TDs at €75,000 would be €4.6 million, while the estimated saving in a full year from capping salaries of Senators at €60,000 would be €0.7 million. Section 2 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 2009 provides inter alia. that long service increments will not be paid to any member of the Houses of the Oireachtas after the next general election. This would reduce the estimated annual savings arising from a similar capping of the salaries of TDs and Senators to €4.2 million and €0.6 million respectively based on full membership of both Houses of the Oireachtas.