Cabinet Pay Rises May Yet Be Revised

While the Taoiseach insisted at the weekend that taking less than the full – very substantial – pay rise awarded last week to himself and fellow Cabinet members would be mere ‘tokenism’, public concerns about the level of the increases has prompted a response.

Counter to Mr Ahern's stance on the pay award - which has seen him just today reemphasise that he and his ministers would accept their recommended pay rises - a number of ministers continue to be concerned, following negative feedback from the public regarding the salary increases.

"The government have made a decision on it, it will be implemented over the next two years and that's it!" the Taoiseach said today.

However, the Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, has now acknowledged public unease about the scale of pay increases awarded to the Taoiseach and Cabinet ministers.

Mr O'Dea said the issue was now very likely to be revisited by the Cabinet this week.

The Taoiseach was awarded a salary increase of €38,000 a year while ministers were awarded an increase of €25,000 a year by the review body on higher earners.

The Minister declined to state his own view, adding he would prefer to give it at Cabinet.

The Minister said: "If it comes up before the Cabinet we'll all have an input and thrash it out and see what the possibilities are.”

Asked about the public reaction to the increases, he replied: “To be honest about it, yes people have said to me that the size of the increases appears to ordinary people to be unjustified.”

His comments come after an opinion poll showing a big drop in support for Fianna Fáil and in the approval rating for the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

Asked about the position of Mr Ahern as leader of the party and Taoiseach, the Minister said his information was that Mr Ahern intention to stand down on the other side of the local and European elections in 2009.

(BMcC)