Token pay cuts are an insult to electorate – Kelly

Wexford Sinn Féin elected rep. Anthony Kelly has said that pay cuts introduced by the new government are nothing but a token gesture aimed at pacifying an electorate that demanded change but instead have gotten a government committed to the same failed principals as the last one.  Cllr Kelly said that the newly strengthened Sinn Féin representation in the Dail would introduce legislation within 100 days to cut Ministers salaries by 40% and TDs salaries by 20%.

“This pay cut is a cynical token gesture aimed at making the electorate believe that they have voted in real change,” Cllr Kelly said.  “The reality is that even after this cut Ministers will still be paid €3,255 per week in the midst of an economic crisis.  Our new Taoiseach will be earning €4000 every week without including his expenses.  These are the very same Ministers who are refusing to reverse cuts to social welfare recipients and asking people to live on €188 per week.  These are the people who talk about political reform but are still happy to earn three times the average industrial wage.”

“Sinn Féin will be bringing forward a bill to drastically reduce these high wages.  No one can justify representatives of the Irish people living in luxury while the rest of the nation suffers the full brunt of the economic crisis.  All the parties contesting the last general election promised real political reform.  My party will be testing that commitment with legislation and we will be watching carefully to see who supports our Bill and who doesn’t.”