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Wonderful Timing as Politicians’ Pay Passes E100,000
Read more about: Blogging, Democracy, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party, Parties, Policy, Progressive Democrats, Referenda, Sinn Féin 
Stephen Collin‘s story in the Irish Times today is one of those ones that feeds into a zeitgeist. Political leaders who have let the Social Partnership talks slip, are in charge of an economic slowdown and on 13 weeks of summer holidays receive their final pay increase today.
TDs WILL receive a pay rise of some €2,500 a year today under the final phase of the current national pay agreement. It will bring the basic salary to more than €100,000.
The Taoiseach’s pay will go up by almost €7,000 a year while senior civil servants and judges will get similar increases under the final 2.5 per cent phase of Sustaining Progress.
All public servants will benefit from the 2.5 per cent award and it will also apply to public service pensions.
Minister’s already passed up their pay rise, citing economic circumstance and the imperative of wage restraint. Will TDs be so like minded? Should they be? Are they worth the E100,000 they earn – a figure that puts them E60,000+ over the average industrial wage?
It taps the zeitgeist – that same notional entity that yields such high sales to the Sunday Independent. A national mindset, or perhaps more correctly an opinion, which sees our politicians as detached and untouched. Detached from the realities of everyday life and untouched by the troubles which plague those lives – troubles like paying bills, mortgages, commuting, childcare, piss-poor community infrastructure and on and on.
That was the same detachement and distrust that gave the ‘no’ side the benefit of the doubt in the Lisbon Referendum for it is not an Irish problem alone, it is one that appears around Europe and within the EU. People see their representatives as “milking it”. Like Pee Flynn -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6348534829955569321(thanks Gavin for video)
- they must struggle on as they live life in many places saving the people from themselves. It is the attitude which Gay Mitchell is coming to represent on the airwaves as he seeks to give out to those who do not have the professional qualifications (whatever they are) to decide this issue.
The pay rise reported today is one of those moments which feeds this perception. It is a bitesize fact which reinforces the idea people have of our leaders. To be honest, one must ask the question – can a person on E100,000 come within an asses roar of understanding the average citizen? If they can – and no doubt some or many do – how do they prove it?
It taps the zeitgeist – that same notional entity that yields such high sales to the Sunday Independent.
having seen the most recent poll on the sindo i think they also must have been tapping a notional entity.
On the pay rise this is another facet of a business world problem namely the disconnect between executives and performance. How can a CEO manage a company that is failing, get fired and still walk away with a huge bonus.
The only difference with politicians is that we assume they have a stronger ethical/patriotic streak and will not abuse the system. It may be a vain hope to do so.
Are there any ways a broad range of metrics could be put in place to act as incentives for politicans pay. The creation of such would be a nightmare but it would certianly be interesting to define what must be achieved to have regard the country as well run. .
It might not be a bad idea to have performance related pay (there is this I think for expenses) for TD’s and senators, miss a vote lose some cash, that you have to sign in every day the Dail is sitting in order to get a good portion of the cash.
As for Gay’s comments, I think they were at a minimum intemperate and at worst down right wrong and stupid to boot. We as a party didn’t have too many complaints that I can recall about him using his wealth when it was coming in part our way. So why the moral outrage now. I think McEvaddy’s comments on Lisbon were wooly and superficial and in some cases plain wrong but our public reps should have been able to bat them out of the park if they were worth the cash they’re being paid.