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Soft Landings for Ministers/TDs on Pay Cuts
Read more about: Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Government, Ireland, Irish Politics, Missing Politicians 
On the back of the solidarity being shown by Ministers in taking a 10% pay cut for next year, a source got me wondering whether those Ministers with additional income streams – like teachers’ pensions – might not be convinced to forgo these also. What with them spending enough time in the Dail to qualify for a nice pension that way.
How about it Noel Dempsey, Michael Martin and Mary Hanafin (not to mention the great Enda Kenny)
pay cuts of 10% bloody hell are they copying enda?
I think you’ll find that the 10% pay cut for ministers is only on their ministerial allowance. Their TD salary is unchanged.
I think the effective pay cut is in the region of 3% to 6% depeding on whether you’re a lowly Junior Minister or a Taoiseach. All the government committee jobs are also not included. I think there’s about 70 chairs, vice chairs and convener of committee allowances in there not being included.
I’m sure all the other allowances are also not included.
10% is just headline grabbing Bollox.
Cian, I’m open to correction but I’m not sure the ministerial pension over the long term is fantastically better than the teacher’s pension. And while I agree with Brian Hayes that the system should be reviewed and a cut off point introduced, it would appear that those who have a pension entitlement have had to pay into the pension scheme. Have you numbers for this?
Also, I’m curious why only Enda gets a link back to piece from IE, has there never been a post on any of the others?
Dan considering you are a poster here as well. Have you ever posted one?.
I’ll have to go and check, Simon, but is one only allowed link to one’s own posts? Also, I noticed after commenting the lack of any reference to any of the Labour TDs who are on leaves of absence.
hold on a sec dan, i linked to Enda as it had audio and I recalled posting it. I also link to a piece by Harry McGee on all of the 30 or so TDs who take the teachers pension.
The fact that Enda was out on this on Friday makes it notable for a link.
[FYI those Labour people are Brendan Howlin, Joe Costello, Róisín Shortall and Tommy Broughan]
One issue with these pay cuts is whether it’s been allowed affect the future pensions of those people taking the paycut, since this pensions typically rely on a formula based on salary. I suspect not. Yet it’s pension provision that puts a lot of rigidity in the public sector pay bill and even now is pulling money into the NPRF with times so tight.
I’ve no problem with the generic issue of pensions, it’s a problem across the board with lots of members of the Oireachtas. Like I said, Cian, I was just curious why only one person in particular was being linked to. There is nothing objectionable about partisan posts on IE so long as people are up front about where they’re coming from.
Pensions for elected reps and public servants are a problem in that they are a committment in secula seculorum and several anomolies-eg multiple pensions to the one person–TD , Minister,MEP,president, as well as NT. Michael Woods even forgot to apply for one of his many pensions so Cowan changed the rules. I think social welfare will only pay one benefit at a time to one person. It does not seem fair that the woman cleaning in the evening is now paying her 1% contribution to these pensions. McCreevey also changed the rules to pay them at 50 instead of 55