TD's on the average industrial wage

dsmythy

So a number of them have made this commitment to take home half their pay or commonly to only take home the average industrial wage. I was just wondering if they are allowed to refused a portion of their wage? I have this idea in the back of my head from somewhere that they are not allowed for some reason.

Also of those who are taking voluntary cuts, if they are allowed to do so, what have each of the individuals/parties taking part said they are planning on doing with the surplus money?

dlofnep

All Sinn Féin politicians earn the average industrial wage, while the rest goes back into the party to help fund elections.

Einhard

dlofnep wrote: »

All Sinn Féin politicians earn the average industrial wage, while the rest goes back into the party to help fund elections.

So they earn the full TD salary, and just happen to spend most of it on political donations.

I've nothing against any TD who wishes to work for less than they are entitled to, but this trend of claiming to be doing so, whilst in reality one is receiving the full amount and directing some of it to personal causes, is a tad mendacious to say the least. And SF are far from the only ones doing it.

The Volt

I have no qualms about our TDs receiving a good wage as long as they're fit for purpose. However, if we pay peanuts then we most definitely will get monkeys.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Liam Byrne

Voltwad wrote: »

I have no qualms about our TDs receiving a good wage as long as they're fit for purpose. However, if we pay peanuts then we most definitely will get monkeys.

That's the argument trotted out up to now, and yet it hasn't stopped the monkeys.

niallers1

We got a right shower of monkeys for 14 years and paid them ridiculously high salary's and bonuses expenses..

Einhard

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That's the argument trotted out up to now, and yet it hasn't stopped the monkeys.

Yeah, but whilst high wages hasn't stopped the monkeys, lower wages would confine the Dail almost exclusively to monkeys.

Anyway, it's really up to the electorate to end monkey participation in the Dail, and it's something we've conspicuously failed to do. Monkeys voting for monkeys perhaps?








i promise i'll stop with the animal metaphors now!

matrim

One thing I've wondered about this is do they take home the average wage before or after tax?

The average wage is about 35k gross. After tax this is approx 30k. But for a net \ take home of 35k it would work out as having a gross salary of approx 42k, so if they are taking home 35k they are misleading people about only getting the average wage.

Tragedy

Sinn Fein TDs get to keep 100% of expenses. That would be why they all have uncommonly high expenses claims(including Mr Doherty).

"We only take home the average industrial wage...and €40k in expenses"

Victor

dlofnep wrote: »

All Sinn Féin politicians earn the average industrial wage, while the rest goes back into the party to help fund elections.

Is this permitted? How does one person give €40,000+ in donations to a political party?

matrim wrote: »

One thing I've wondered about this is do they take home the average wage before or after tax?

Note that "average industrial wage" and "average wage" are very different things as it includes all income levels from minimum wage to senior management. Average industrial wage is generally considered to be higher.

Pherekydes

Einhard wrote: »

Yeah, but whilst high wages hasn't stopped the monkeys, lower wages would confine the Dail almost exclusively to monkeys.

Nope! With higher salaries all you get is greedier monkeys.

Gloomtastic!

Heard during the week on Ivan Yates radio show that the independents get an additional €40k allowance for being 'party leaders' of their own party. However all Party TDs get €80k paid directly to their party to cover party expenses.
Is this true? Is there no bottom to the trough that these people feed off?

Tragedy

Victor wrote: »

Is this permitted? How does one person give €40,000+ in donations to a political party?

They can't and don't. They give the maximum allowed(€5,000 I think?) and apparently the rest gets sunk into the local constituency office, which no doubt helps their re-election chances quite a bit.

Liam Byrne

Einhard wrote: »

Yeah, but whilst high wages hasn't stopped the monkeys, lower wages would confine the Dail almost exclusively to monkeys.

Don't agree. €100,000 is massive money, and we might actually get people who are interested in fixing things rather than people interested in money.

Anyway, it's really up to the electorate to end monkey participation in the Dail, and it's something we've conspicuously failed to do. Monkeys voting for monkeys perhaps?

Probably more to do with the ****e standard of candidates on offer to begin with.

dlofnep

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

They earn the average industrial wage, and the rest is donated back to the party. They are very clear about this and have never suggested otherwise.

So whatever way you wish to spin it - a Sinn Féin TD takes home the average industrial wage. To me, it shows that they are not engaged in politics for the financial side of it.

ninty9er

dlofnep wrote: »

They earn the average industrial wage, and the rest is donated back to the party. They are very clear about this and have never suggested otherwise.

So whatever way you wish to spin it - a Sinn Féin TD takes home the average industrial wage. To me, it shows that they are not engaged in politics for the financial side of it.

anybody who gets into politics for the money is deluded. For the commitment required and abuse they get they'd be better off sticking with the day job. There's on point trying to paint SF TDs as martyrs to the cause Ar there are plenty of other TDs who pay constituency costs from their own pocket.

dlofnep

ninty9er wrote: »

There's on point trying to paint SF TDs as martyrs to the cause Ar there are plenty of other TDs who pay constituency costs from their own pocket.

I haven't stated anyone is a martyr. The OP asked which politicians are earning an average industrial wage - I replied with a factually accurate statement. What's the problem?

imme

The Greens used to donate some of their wages to the Party as well.

Why don't these people make donations to charity instead of donating to their parties.

As regards SF, it goes toward positive spin as to their socialist position, their credentials, men of the people and all that.

The choice to give some of their salaries to their party does not affect overall bill of paying TD's. Their portrayal of it gives the suggestion that they are earning less than other TD's. They cost the exact same as every other TD, just that they give some of their salary to their party is all.

delta720

SF only take home the average industrial wage, but they don't tell us how much of their living expenses are covered. Gerry Adams has a house up the North, one in Donegal, and now a very big house in Ravensdale. Did he rent/buy this new house using his industrial wage or do the party cover it? If the party cover it then it's a bit of a joke claiming to only get an average industrial wage if that wage is essentially disposable income.

Bohser

ninty9er wrote: »

anybody who gets into politics for the money is deluded. For the commitment required and abuse they get they'd be better off sticking with the day job.

Then what are politicians involved in politics for? The love of politics? The desire to help the people?

ninty9er wrote: »

There's on point trying to paint SF TDs as martyrs to the cause Ar there are plenty of other TDs who pay constituency costs from their own pocket.

Mate, this is just a suggestion but, you might want to look up the word martyr in a dictionary.

Bohser

delta720 wrote: »

SF Gerry Adams has a house up the North, one in Donegal, and now a very big house in Ravensdale.

Several politicians have more than one property. Some of them got the money from private business practices (e.g. doctors practices, farming) or inheritance whilst others like Michael Lowry get money from business men like Ben Dunne.

delta720 wrote: »

Did he rent/buy this new house using his industrial wage or do the party cover it?

I think that Gerry Adams has at least one book published. Fair play to him. I doubt that most of his fellow TDs have come anywhere close to that kind of success privately.

Bohser

Einhard wrote: »

So they earn the full TD salary, and just happen to spend most of it on political donations.

So what?

Einhard wrote: »

I've nothing against any TD who wishes to work for less than they are entitled to

Thank God for that.
I take it then that you or the party you vote for would not consider doing it?

Einhard wrote: »

, but this trend of claiming to be doing so

Who claimed what now?

Einhard wrote: »

whilst in reality one is receiving the full amount and directing some of it to personal causes

They obviously think that their cause will benefit the country. A personal cause for Michael Lowry was a IR£395,000 extension to his home.

Einhard wrote: »

is a tad mendacious to say the least.

Jaysus "mendacious", that's some fancy word there. It almost sounds like you know what you're talking about.

Einhard wrote: »

And SF are far from the only ones doing it.

Who else are doing it and so what if they are? Personally I'd vote for any of them before the guys that are taking their full salary.

Bohser

dsmythy wrote: »

So a number of them have made this commitment to take home half their pay or commonly to only take home the average industrial wage. I was just wondering if they are allowed to refused a portion of their wage? I have this idea in the back of my head from somewhere that they are not allowed for some reason.

Also of those who are taking voluntary cuts, if they are allowed to do so, what have each of the individuals/parties taking part said they are planning on doing with the surplus money?

There are a few other independents doing it I think? I heard some of them on Newstalk during the week saying that they would donate the money to personal causes such as local healthcare.

Sorry, I can't remember the names.

delta720

feistyfawn wrote: »

Several politicians have more than one property. Some of them got the money from private business practices (e.g. doctors practices, farming) or inheritance whilst others like Michael Lowry get money from the private business men like Ben Dunne.

While others get it from robbing banks. Your right, I was naive to think that his average industrial wage as a politician was his only source of income. Thanks for clearing that up.

I think that Gerry Adams has at least one book published. Fair play to him. I doubt that most of his fellow TDs have come anywhere close to that success privately.

Really?

Bohser

delta720 wrote: »

While others get it from robbing banks.

So you think that SF TDs profited directly from the bank robberies?

That's some crazy speculating you're doing there - you'd really need to be sure of what you're saying before you make accusations.

delta720 wrote: »

Really?

Yeah really.

Fr Tod Umptious

Ming is giving half his salary to help pay for local recreational projects.
He says he would do that rather than allow it just go straight back into the public coffers and get swallowed up in a bank bailout.
A far more 'honest' approach than those who put it back into their party if you ask me

Bohser

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Ming is giving half his salary to help pay for local recreational projects.
He says he would do that rather than allow it just go straight back into the public coffers and get swallowed up in a bank bailout.
A far more 'honest' approach than those who put it back to if you ask metheir party.

Maybe more admirable, but not necessarily more sensible.

Possibly not if SF believe in what they're trying to achieve and want to compete with the other parties spending prowess (in part due to corporate donations). In order to get in government and implement their policies (which I believe includes stopping corporate donations to political parties) - it might be a sensible approach to take.

Anyway, maybe that wasn't they're intention when they initiated the policy some years ago. Maybe they are trying to help demonstrate that they're not just interested in monetary gain.

spurious

When I started work as a teacher in 1984, TDs were paid the first point on the teacher's common basic salary scale.

Today that would be €30,904, but TDs now start on over three times that.

A Dub in Glasgo

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Ming is giving half his salary to help pay for local recreational projects.
He says he would do that rather than allow it just go straight back into the public coffers and get swallowed up in a bank bailout.
A far more 'honest' approach than those who put it back into their party if you ask me

Presumably he is doing this to charities that are eligible for tax relief

BlaasForRafa

feistyfawn wrote: »

So you think that SF TDs profited directly from the bank robberies?

That's some crazy speculating you're doing there - you'd really need to be sure of what you're saying before you make accusations.

Its a pretty rational assumption to make.

Anyway what are you going to do about it if he does say that. Sue him? Sue the site? Threats like that could get you a site ban.