40 ways to improve Ireland this Lent (#2- Cut the wages of over paid politician's)

The Lenten challenge - 40 ways to improve Ireland today with evidence from our leading economists, business people and politicians

#2 - Cut the wages of over paid politician's

The Problem: The basic annual salary for a TD is €92,672, before expenses and other allowances. Irish Ministers are paid €169,000 per year, while the annual wage of the Taoiseach is €200,000. While it is true that the new administration has introduced some cuts to ministers income, our Taoiseach still earns €4000 a week. People on benefits earn €188, while according to the department of Finance, the average industrial wage in Ireland today is €34,500. Is it right that a TD can earn three times the average industrial wage while working about a third of the time? (The Dail sat for 101 days in 2010).

The Solution: Our TDs earn considerably more than their counterparts in Germany, England or France. Their opposite numbers in Spain earn about a third of what a TD makes. The obvious solution to this problem is to radically reduce the wages of our TDs and Ministers.

Sinn Féin have suggested capping TDs wages at €75,000 and Ministers at €100,000. The United Left Alliance also support imposing cuts upon over paid TDs.

One of the arguments used by those who are against cutting the wages of TDs is that it will greatly reduce the talent pool wishing to win election. It is true that less teachers, business people and solicitors might opt to leave their jobs and enter the Dail at a reduction of wages. But have these people truly done their job in our parliament? Do the Irish people want career opportunists, who care more about their wages than the welfare of the Irish state representing them?

Even if the wages of TDs were to be reduced to the average industrial wage, there would still be people willing to serve the Irish people n the Dail. Perhaps they would be better people.