I see former Taoiseach John Bruton is absolutely determined to hold onto every cent of his massive €138,000 ministerial pension (Irish Independent).
I don’t think service as a politician is any less worthy than any other form of service, particularly as politicians have been directly and personally selected by the people in a way that other public servants are not.
This is the same greedy politician who regularly lectures Irish citizens on the need to make sacrifices for the good of the country. Some quotes from the ‘patriot’.
Given that we fought a war of independence to get the sovereign right to borrow…we have a responsibility to repay every penny we owe, on time.
In essence, the cause of today’s debt problems is that developed countries awarded themselves a living standard they had not earned.
It will all mean postponing increases in living standards, paying more tax, and getting fewer benefits from the Government.
The above demands do not, of course, apply to Mr. Bruton.
I wrote the following last August.
Does this mean that Bruton will be giving up or substantially reducing the following Government benefits?
The nearly quarter of a million he has drawn down under the (totally unjustified) Secretarial Assistants Scheme for former Taoisigh.
His TDs pension.
His Ministerial pension.
His Taoiseach’s pension.
Any EU (Government) benefit he’s in receipt of as a result of his stint as EU Ambassador to the US.
Any generous Government/EU payments or subsidies he may be receiving for his farm.
A reduction in his present salary as chairman of the IFSC.
Somehow I think Bruton will be holding on to all his ‘entitlements’.
The ‘we’ he is demanding major sacrifices from are, I suspect, ordinary citizens struggling to survive the financial disaster brought down upon them by ruthless, incompetent politicians like Bruton.
Of course he wont. Nor will his fellow former FG man Peter Sutherland be giving up the €50,000 he takes from us annually. Cuts are only for the lowlifes like us.