le Peadar de Bluit
An Taoiseach has again utilised the full extent of his political buffoonery in an effort to side-step an unsuspecting electorate. Last week Bertie and a selection of Government ministers agreed to accept a lavish increase, to what is already an extremely generous pay-packet. Not long after the announcement was made the media picked up on the most recent piece of Government spending. An Taoiseach found himself at the centre of a lot of negative press ahead of the bank holiday weekend. Given his track record however, it is doubtful that he did not envisage this when he signed off on his early Christmas bonus. Charlie Haughey did not refer to him as the most cunning and devious man he had ever met for nothing.
As the bank-holiday weekend drew closer Transport Minister Noel Dempsey released a raft of new recommendations in relation to Road Safety, scheduled to come into force the following Tuesday. These recommendations, despite the fact that a number of them were already engrained in legislation, sparked a controversy which dominated the front pages for the entire weekend. With the Transport Minister now in the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons, Bertie and his augmented salary quickly drifted into the background. This move has since been summarised as unfortunate timing on the Taoiseach’s part, although on closer analysis it appears to be more like the devious political corollary that Bertie practices so masterfully. He would have known when his proposed salary was coming through, and that Minister Dempsey released these measures in such quick succession, in such a hurried fashion is not as mucha coincidence as it is portrayed.
The facts of this latest debacle make for some sombre-reading if you earn anywhere in the region of the average industrial wage, i.e. Public sector employees, factory workers, shop assistants etc. Bertie, last week accepted a 14% increase in his annual wage. At the end of the year that seemingly innocuous figure means a €38,000 increase in an Taoiseach’s salary. To put this increase in context, €38,000 is more than a staff nurse earns in a year, and it is doubtful if an Taoiseach’s plush lifestyle is more demanding than that of a staff nurse,or for that matter, many others who earn a similar wage. This move certainly calls into question the rigors and scope of the body tasked with awarding pay-increases to members of the Government, and exactly what terms of reference they are given. Bertie’s salary now stands at an amazing €310,000, quite a spectacular figure especially considering Gordon Browne brings home €270,000, and George W. Bush €280,000. The question thereofre remains unanswered why does Bertie deserve such a wage hike while thousands of people in this country still live on or below the poverty line.
To add insult to injury this rise comes at the same time as some rather gloomy budget projections from the Department of Finance. There seems to an all too familiar message coming from this Fianna Fáil led Government, tough times ahead, we may need to tighten our belts in order to persevere. The air of pretentiousness and hypocrisy emanating from the Cabinet chambers in the past week is a slap in the face to the people of the 26-counties, not least the loyal voters who sent the Soldiers of Destiny galloping in to Leinster House for a third term. The taxpayers of this state, at the end of the day, are the ones who have to pay for Bertie’s wages, and it is doubtful if they would be so fast to bequeath him such a rise if they were given the choice themselves.
This episode is worsened by the fact that the smokescreen used to cover up the Government’s wage hike was Road Safety. It is totally unacceptable that the Government would use an issue of this magnitude to draw attention from their over the top undeserved wages. Since this Government has been in situe they have almost completelely neglected the issue of Road Safety. With the exception of one or two stand-alone initiatives, there has been no concerted effort whatsoever to try to minimise the amount of fatalities on Irish roads. Now they have the audacity to use this enormus issue to keep the spotlight off their wage increase. The callousness and contempt of this Government cast a long shadow over the integrity and good name of our nation.
It remains therefore that the Soldiers of Destiny led by Bertie believe they can continue unhindered to make a fool of the Irish people. When it comes to social and economic policy they have proven time and time again that they are completely inept and unable to deliver for the people, be that by choice or otherwise. Their constant presence in the tribunals shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are in no way trustworthy. And now they compound their political inadequacy by investing the hard-earned money of the Irish people in their own wages, instead of education for our children or healthcare for our sick. The time has come to demand accountability from this Government, to make it clear that their contempt for Irish politics and Irish people will no longer be accepted. Bertie’s buffoonery must end now.
1 comment:
Bertie is getting away with it and the Irish people have only themselves to blame for electing him back into power. In the seventies people would have been out marching in protest for less.
Can't understand why people are taking this lying down!!!!!!!!!
Where is the outcry from the Social Partners. I notice that the Unions are very silent on the subject also.
Frances, Galway
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