Finance Minister rejects junior ministers' demands for increased expenses payments

A junior minister receives a €94,535 TD salary and a ministerial payment of up to €35,319, pushing their payment levels up to €129,854.

Finance Minister rejects junior ministers' demands for increased expenses payments

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has rejected demands from junior ministers to drastically increase their expenses payments after a public backlash.

Mr Donohoe confirmed he has "no immediate plans" to increase the amount of money given to junior ministers to pay for hotels in Dublin when the Dáil is sitting after a private meeting on the issue last week.

Under existing rules, a junior minister receives a €94,535 TD salary and a ministerial payment of up to €35,319, pushing their payment levels up to €129,854.

However, their expenses levels are lower than backbench TDs.

Eight rural Fine Gael junior ministers met with Mr Donohoe last week asking for an increase in their expenses allowance due to the high cost of hotels in Dublin and other matters.

However, Mr Donohoe said while he has "listened carefully" to the junior minister calls, he will not be increasing expenses levels.

Noting the "pressures" facing Ireland's finances due to Brexit and other matters, Mr Donohoe said he has "no immediate plans" to hike junior minister expenses in the near future.

"I met all my minister of state colleagues last week. I listened carefully to what they had to say, but I made it very clear that in the context of the pressures on our finances we need to be very careful about making any changes.

"I don't have any plans to make immediate changes on the support available," Mr Donohoe said.

The Finance Minister separately dismissed calls to double the amount of money given to councillors, saying while the move has been suggested by a review "as things stand now I don't have any immediate plans" to increase salary and expenses levels.

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Mother and daughters killed in Mayo crash named locally, as husband returns to Ireland 'Their smiles lit up the room': Tributes paid to mother and daughters killed in Mayo crash
Irish constitution referenda Transport Minister does not envisage congestion charges in near future
McEntee: Group using arson to 'sow division and fear' in communities Four arrests in connection with fire at hotel earmarked for asylum seekers
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited