Government Need to Come Clean on Phoney Pay Cut
28 July 2020
Reacting to the news of the Government’s phoney 10% pay cut which will leave Minister’s €1,000 better-off, Labour Spokesperson on Public Expenditure & Reform Ged Nash TD stated that this is effectively a renewal of a previous voluntary pay cut taken by the last Government.
The Louth & East Meath Deputy called on the Taoiseach to “come clean” on his attempts to pull the wool over the public’s eyes.
Deputy Nash said:
“The Taoiseach is being disingenuous in relation to the phoney 10% pay cut announced yesterday. In truth, this is is not a pay cut at all and will leave Ministers - including the Taoiseach - better off than their predecessors in the last Government.
“It is extraordinary that the Taoiseach thought this would go unnoticed and that it would deflect attention from the hare-brained decision to change the law to shell out an extra €16,200 to Ministers of State attending Cabinet.
“It shows yet more shocking arrogance from this calamity coalition and a blatant disregard for working people who have experienced real and significant cuts to their income during this crisis.
“When the Taoiseach was in opposition, he spent much time decrying the now Tánaiste for his obsession with spin. It seems that the Taoiseach has taken a leaf out of his predecessors’ book in attempting to spin this phoney pay cut.
Nash continued:
“This Government is determined to continue in the tone deaf manner in which they started whether it’s voting through salary top-ups for Junior Ministers, the recruitment of a gaggle of freshly minted advisers and now by attempting to pull the wool over the public eyes over this bogus ‘cut’ to Ministers pay.”