Rejection of 30 per cent pay increase enrages TDs

THE Government is expected to consider the 3 per cent pay rise for TDs, recommended by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, at its meeting next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Review Body's rejection of the 30 per cent pay claim, submitted by a sub committee of the Dail's Committee on Procedure and Privileges, enraged deputies in all parties yesterday.

Expressing grave disappointment that the first he had learned of the extremely low award was in yesterday's Irish Times, the chairman of the all party sub committee, Mr Brian Fitzgerald, said that if 3 per cent was all that was being offered, he would like to know the Review Body's justification for it.

A spokesman for the Department of Finance would make no comment on the Review Body's recommendation yesterday.

According to the spokesman, the position was that the Minister had received the report in the last couple of weeks. He was considering it. The next stage would be to bring it to Government, the spokesman said.

Senator David Norris wondered what multiple of a TD's salary of £33,354 was being paid to the chairman of the Review Body, Mr Michael Buckley.

Mr Buckley, former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare, is currently managing director of Allied Irish Banks Capital Markets.

A spokesman for AIB reluctantly disclosed yesterday that Mr Buckley would be earning "something in the order of £200,000 a year". This figure would exclude his potential for bonuses, a bank car, and other taxable benefits and perks.

To answer Senator Norris's question, which was preoccupying many angry TDs yesterday: Mr Buckley is paid the equivalent of the basic salary of six TDs.