The Minster for Public Expenditure Donohoe has defended the Government’s recent decision to issue salary increases for politicians.
The new bumper pay deals that will see all TDs receiving a €5,000 bonus in total was agreed in yesterday’s Budget.
Speaking about the pay increase today Mr Donohoe said: “Everything is now tied in to how we treat public and civil servants. There’s the issue in relation to ministerial salaries that we will revisit because I don’t want to be in a situation where people feel in the future that there’s any kind of unfairness going on.”
Mr Donohoe added: “The last thing on my mind at the moment is the welfare and salary of TDs I can assure you.”
“I absolutely understand that perception and I’m so keenly aware of the hurt and anxiety that’s been caused to so many people after all that we went through.”
Mr Donohoe’s comments come after widespread public outrage about the pay increase that will see TDs receiving over €2,500 in 2017 and a further €2,500 in 2018.