Tóibín proposes 25% cut to politicians' wages

(Above) Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.

TDs' and senators' salaries should be cut by 25 per cent while Level 4 and Level 5 Covid1-19 restrictions are in place, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has proposed.

The Meath West TD has submitted a Dáil bill that if approved by his colleagues in Leinster house would see their wages cut by a quarter while the most severe Covid-19 restrictions are in place.

Deputy Tóibín says that it is time that politicians “lead by example” and that salary cuts would help politicians “relate” to the people they are representing.

“The mantra of this government has been that 'we are all in this together'. That’s plainly untrue. Hundreds of thousands of workers and businesses have had their ability to earn a salary taken away from them. They have had their income radically reduced. Many have been pushed into poverty. The restrictions have had an enormous cost to so many people throughout the country.

“We believe that politicians cannot represent properly if they cannot relate. It's clear that the government do not know what it is like for families right around the country. Making decisions for so many people and being immune to the consequences of those decisions does not make for good governance. If politicians don’t share in the cost of those decisions, they are blind to the real experience of so many people," he continued.

Deputy Tóibín added that the “chasm that exists between the people and the elected representatives has never been as wide”.

“In the last economic crash, there was a logical downward pressure on the incomes of elected reps in line with the rest of society. But on this occasion, politicians' salaries are actually going in the opposite direction to hundreds of thousands of people. While the savings to the state in this proposed salary cut may not be large its really important that everyone, including TDs pays their share of the cost of getting Ireland back on its feet. We need as a society to do all we can to keep the Covid 19 numbers down. We also need to learn to live with this illness that will be with us for a long period of time.

“It's time that the body politic in Ireland led by example. The words “We are all in this together” are thrown around like confetti. It's time for TDs to put their money where their mouth is and back the Aontú bill,” he said.