senators earning 100,000 euros a year

ivan087

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1561363&issue_id=13675

the article says 'SENATORS will pick up over €1,300 on average for each day the Seanad sits this year. The salaries for members of the Seanad, who are all part-time, have more than doubled since Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats came to power. Senators are in line for a wages and expenses payout of €112,500 each on average in 2006. Their wages have grown even faster than TDs, yet reform of the outdated upper house of parliament is highly unlikely to be delivered by the next general election. Senator Mary O'Rourke, the leader of the Seanad, said last night senators were "well paid" but the taxpayer does get value for money.'

this means each senator will be getting about 100,000 for a part-time job! this is going beyond a joke. the dail and the seanad sit less then any other parliment in europe (about 80 times a year) and get paid more then most parliaments too (edged out by the Italians!). anyone else thinking of changing career? can anyone justify this? to contrast this - Finland MP's, who help to run a very successful economy, earn 40,000 euros a year!

Irish legislatures have far less of a role in government policy than most other parliaments, so they don't need to sit as often. Everything of importance is said at the cabinet table.

If you want to attract to best in society you need to pay. Considering the huge amount of hours most politicians put into their jobs Finnish MP's mustn't be making very much per hour at all.

LostinBlanch

Deleted User wrote:

Irish legislatures have far less of a role in government policy than most other parliaments, so they don't need to sit as often. Everything of importance is said at the cabinet table.

Kind of get's rid of the need for a parliament then doesn't it? I mean if you think that the opposition actually has a part to play in the democratic process then let them be more than window dressing. This kind of 50% + .01% mentality is exactly the kind of antidemocratic thing that we rightly accused the Unionists of having in the north.

IVAN097 wrote:

Senators were "well paid" but the taxpayer does get value for money.'

Mary O'Rourke?? Donie Cassidy??

Deleted User wrote:

If you want to attract to best in society you need to pay.

Absolute crap IMO, and we won't even get onto the PDs. Wasn't one of their original policies abolishing the senate? So how many PD senators are there? My, my was that the sound of "principles" I heard being thrown out of the window? I wondered how John Minihin voted on the abolishing the Senate thing originally, before he realised that there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell of him getting a seat as a TD?

LostinBlanch

LostinBlanch wrote:

Kind of get's rid of the need for a parliament then doesn't it? I mean if you think that the opposition actually has a part to play in the democratic process then let them be more than window dressing. This kind of 50% + .01% mentality is exactly the kind of antidemocratic thing that we rightly accused the Unionists of having in the north.

The opposition should play a bigger role, but they don't. I don't see the point in trotting eveyone out there in act of self delusion trying to convince ourselves that have an effect on policy. It just reduces the incentive to act to reduce the policy influence differential between opposition and government.

Absolute crap IMO

Source?

Why exactly did you start complaining about the pd's?

constitutionus

ivan087 wrote:

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1561363&issue_id=13675

the article says 'SENATORS will pick up over €1,300 on average for each day the Seanad sits this year. The salaries for members of the Seanad, who are all part-time, have more than doubled since Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats came to power. Senators are in line for a wages and expenses payout of €112,500 each on average in 2006. Their wages have grown even faster than TDs, yet reform of the outdated upper house of parliament is highly unlikely to be delivered by the next general election. Senator Mary O'Rourke, the leader of the Seanad, said last night senators were "well paid" but the taxpayer does get value for money.'

this means each senator will be getting about 100,000 for a part-time job! this is going beyond a joke. the dail and the seanad sit less then any other parliment in europe (about 80 times a year) and get paid more then most parliaments too (edged out by the Italians!). anyone else thinking of changing career? can anyone justify this? to contrast this - Finland MP's, who help to run a very successful economy, earn 40,000 euros a year!

not bad money for losing an election

LostinBlanch

Deleted User wrote:

The opposition should play a bigger role, but they don't.

Not by choice, it's down to things like standing orders at the Dail / Senate where Bertie doesn't even want to come in for questions. 99.9% power is vested in the cabinet, there is little the opposition can do about this except agitate for stronger committees etc. Of course if they cause too much trouble then Rory O Hanlon tells them to shut up or feck off. Meanwhile the govt introduces more bills by guillotine which doesn't even give the opposition time to debate them properly. Very democratic don't you think?

Deleted User wrote:

I don't see the point in trotting eveyone out there in act of self delusion trying to convince ourselves that have an effect on policy. It just reduces the incentive to act to reduce the policy influence differential between opposition and government.

I don't understand this, I know it might be late but am I missing something here?

As for the PD Senators I referred to them in the light of Mary O Rourkes comments at the start of the thread. I definitley don't think they are "value for money" Mary.

LostinBlanch

LostinBlanch wrote:

Not by choice, it's down to things like standing orders at the Dail / Senate where Bertie doesn't even want to come in for questions. 99.9% power is vested in the cabinet, there is little the opposition can do about this except agitate for stronger committees etc. Of course if they cause too much trouble then Rory O Hanlon tells them to shut up or feck off. Meanwhile the govt introduces more bills by guillotine which doesn't even give the opposition time to debate them properly.

I agree, I didn't say it was by choice.

I don't understand this, I know it might be late but am I missing something here?

Yes.

Given what you said above, I think having the Dail in session all the time, serves to conceal its growing impotency from the casual observer. If you see opposition TD's talking in dail all the time on the news you'd think their having some effect on policy. Their not. Clever manipulation of the public?

As for the PD Senators I referred to them in the light of Mary O Rourkes comments at the start of the thread. I definitley don't think they are "value for money" Mary.

Mary can't hear you. Write her a letter.