Madam, – Declan Waugh (February 4th) imagines that there was some contradiction, or lack of “transparency and accountability”, in the fact that I voted against the Finance Bill while also rejecting a Labour Party recommendation on the subject of bank bonuses.
There was no contradiction. I considered the Labour Party recommendation on its merits. I concluded that it was primarily about the optics and was unnecessary for the purpose of allowing, say, an Oireachtas Committee to investigate bank bonuses paid out in the past. I stated clearly that I deplored the inappropriate payment of bonuses and would support an examination of such payments in an appropriate forum.
But to recall the Dáil to consider (and inevitably reject) a recommendation that proposed no substantial change to the Finance Bill would be a pointless exercise and not something I was prepared to support.
As an independent senator I consider issues on their merits and to the best of my ability. Mr Waugh’s criticism might more appropriately be addressed to some TDs and Senators who always voted at their party’s call, and never thought of thinking for themselves at all. – Yours, etc,