Mattie no rebel on cuts after all

OUTSPOKEN TD Mattie McGrath was revealed to be “the rebel who never was” as his promised principled stand on public sector pay cuts fizzled into Dáil dust.

The Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD had loudly threatened to vote against the Government over the exemption of senior civil servants from the full force of pay cuts, costing the taxpayer €5m a year.

However, when it came to the crunch Dáil showdown, Mr McGrath said he had “failed” in his bid to change policy, and would vote with the Government.

The row exploded after it was revealed Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was to allow 630 senior civil servants, many on six-figure salaries, to avoid the level of pay cuts forced on junior ranks. Mr Lenihan said the structure of bonuses given to the top mandarins meant they needed special treatment.

Mr McGrath said: “This is nonsense and is anathema to all right-thinking hard- working citizens of this country whether they are in the public service or the private sector.

“I have decided that although I am clearly unhappy with the current situation, I am and will be in a far stronger position to effect change from within the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.

“I have fought a hard fight within my party since before Christmas to try to effect change, but I am sad to say that I have failed on this issue,” he said.

The Government decision, he said, was a “bad example” to lower grade workers struggling to make ends meet.

Mr McGrath said Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton had offered him a “life-jacket” if he rebelled.

“Deputy Bruton and others can rest assured that while they offered me a life-jacket, I will not take them up on their offer. They would have been better served keeping that for their fellow soldier who slipped overboard in recent days,” he said.