Public servant pay top-ups
Senator Craughwell criticised salary top-ups and pay disparities, arguing public servants had borne heavy cuts while special advisers could receive extra payments. The Leader responded that pay restoration was under way, FEMPI was being unwound, and there had been no justification for breaches of adviser salary limits.
In recent months I have had time to sit down and think about what happened between 2008 and the current day. Between 2011 and 2014, I was actively involved in some of the cuts that were made to the salaries paid to public servants. Members of my union at the time, the Teachers Union of Ireland, were thrown into income poverty and I remember that my own net salary fell by €1,000. Substantial sums were taken from public servants. In the 2012 Lansdowne Road agreement negotiations, I, as president of the TUI, was told that as all of the low-hanging fruit was gone, they were hard times and we all had to put our shoulder to the wheel as we were all in it together. I have since realised there was an exclusive class in this country for whom the case was made to top up their salaries by up to €20,000 per year and they were people who already earned €80,000 a year.
The argument was that they were indispensable. There were fine and hard-working civil servants for whom nobody could make a case for topping up their salaries. Nobody could make a case to defer or ignore the employment framework, but from the top of the political system from the office of the President right down through Ministers, special cases were made for salary top-ups and special jobs to be created. Before we have an inauguration on 11 November, I want legislation to be brought forward to regularise the office of Áras an Uachtaráin, which can be done prior to the next President taking his or her place.
Comment on this
We have to ensure we are all in it together and that we are all suffering in the same way. While we are at it, we might start trawling around ministerial offices to see how many special advisers have had top-ups on their salaries, because public servants do not have that option open to them. By the way, neither does the Leader.
Comment on this
He cannot go into the Taoiseach and tell him that he is a special guy who deserves an extra €20,000 a year because he will not get it. Let us try to be a little honest with public servants.
Comment on this
I could try. I am glad I am not special.