TDs differ on following party leader's example
5% PAY CUT TIMMINS SAYS MAYBE; DOYLE SAYS NO
ENDA KENNY'S announcement that he intends to take a 5 per cent pay cut has received a mixed response from the two serving Wicklow TDs belonging to Fine Gael.
Deputy Andrew Doyle said he didn't plan on taking a pay cut because as a politician he was self-employed and not in the most secure profession.
Deputy Billy Timmins said he had no problem with such a move as long as it was across the board in the public sector.
A parliamentary meeting is expected to take place this week when the matter will be up for discussion and a coordinated party decision will be taken.
Deputy Timmins said that a few weeks ago he supported a public sector pay freeze and he stood by that.
'I was always opposed to benchmarking and believed it was wrong. I don't have a difficulty taking a 5 per cent pay cut, once it involves anyone in the whole public sector earning over somewhere around ¤90,000. It has to be something right across the board and not unilateral,' he said.
'Our party leader has said he will take a 5 per cent reduction and that is a personal decision, not party policy.'
Deputy Doyle says his initial reaction is not to take a cut due to the unstable profession politics often proves itself to be.
'When the budget comes out higher income earners are going to be hit with more taxes. A reduction would actually reduce that income and the amount of tax paid. From a personal point of view I am a self employed person and I'm not in the most secure profession. In politics you are judged on wether you do the job, but even then its hard to predict.
'I have no problem with a pay freeze once I am treated the same as everyone else right across the board. Performance related pay is something that has been brought up before and I would agree with that.'
He also believes the private sector have to own up to the problems they have caused, rather than critics purely singling out the public sector.
'Look right across the banks and the financial institutions and how their executives have contributed toward the world mess we currently find ourselves in.
'We hear a lot about the public sector and some of the criticism is deserved, but you could sum up some of the behaviour in the private sector with one word - Greed.
'Should any cuts not also involve them too?' he asked.
