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The Big Business Issue
Last week, the Limerick Leader revealed that our Dail representatives across the city and county have claimed almost €1m in expenses between them since the 2007 general election.
The figures, released under the freedom of information act, show Limerick West FF Deputy John Cregan claimed the highest expense levels, with more than €178,000. Limerick's highest ranking TD, Minister Willie O'Dea meanwhile, claimed just €17,000 in extras, but he admitted that a high level of his costs were covered by the Department of Defence. Can these high levels of expenditure still be justified in a tough economic environment?
LIAM RELIHAN, Resourcekraft
"Everything is under scrutiny. If you are a business, everything is looked at. Once upon a time, there was a bit of forgivable largesse, but this is not the case anymore. Businesses are well aware of the environment the country is in, and it would be surprising if the politician do not. Every senior manager in this environment has to evaluate his own worth, whether they are doing enough for what they get paid. They are elected to be senior managers, now they need to evaluate if they are worth it."
URSULA STOKES, the Ursula Stokes Agency.
"This expenditure cannot be justified. The shadow government and the present government should be listening to the people who have elected them. We are all tightening our belts, they should be tightening theirs. It won't happen of course because we live in a society which accepts the leadership we have at the moment. But its time to rise up and say no to this, and move on. What is good for the goose is good for the gander."
PADRAIG CLEARY, MayDay Management Consultants.
"One is entitled to full reimbursement for the costs involved in doing one's job but there has to be full and open accountability in the public sector. TDs expenses, especially the special allowances for chairing committees were out of line with the private sector middle management equivalent and were excessive even in The Celtic Tiger Years. There should be no question now but that all such expenses and special allowance be cut to the minimum. The position of an elected politician should clearly be seen to be for the better public good and that while TDs should not be out of pocket for doing their elected jobs they should not be able "to make a profit on expenses". Having worked in the public sector many, many years ago and still having involvements with the public sector, it is clear that the system has allowed expenses claims, as happened in the UK parliament, to be an accepted means of topping-up salaries. This was never a good culture and certainly has no place now in our straightened circumstances
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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