Cassidy apologises for remark on salaries

SEANAD leader Donie Cassidy has apologised for suggesting it was “not easy” for senators with families to get by on €65,000 a year.

The Fianna Fáil senator told the Seanad yesterday that he was sorry for any offence caused by his remarks, which were published in this paper on Tuesday.

Mr Cassidy made his apology after the issue was raised by Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer and Independent senator Davis Norris.

Mr Buttimer said Mr Cassidy’s remarks had given the impression that politicians were out of touch.

“They must be clarified because there is a perception among the public that many politicians are out of touch and living the high life or in a bubble, when we do not,” Mr Buttimer said.

“Equally, will the Government ever understand the optics of last Monday, as ministers pretended to be working on a bank holiday, went up to Farmleigh in their state cars and leaned out of the windows to tell people that they feel their pain?

“Clearly, many members of the Government do not feel or understand their pain.”

Mr Norris said it was “astonishing” for any politician to have suggested €65,000 was hard to live on at a time when “people are losing their jobs, are living on the minimum wage of €8.60 per hour and cannot pay their mortgages”.

Mr Cassidy said his remarks had been an attempt to demonstrate that senators had already taken cuts in the national interest and would continue to play their part.

It had never been his intention to cause offence or hurt to anyone, he stressed.

“I apologise to the membership of this House, to people of Ireland, and everyone concerned.

“What I really was saying was that the senators all play a part — we had taken the (pension) levy reductions, we had taken the wage reductions, and in the national interest, we would continue to do this.

“I know that people are hurt, and it certainly was never my intention. Anyone who knows me, and knows my background and knows where I came from, I certainly wasn’t one who was reared with a silver spoon. I know exactly what it is, and how difficult it is, to know where, maybe, meals are going to come from in two or three days’ time,” Mr Cassidy added.

“So I apologise again, it was never my intention, and I am personally hurt myself, apart from the hurt that anyone else might have had experienced.”

In his original remarks, Mr Cassidy had suggested to the Irish Examiner that there was a “race to the bottom” in terms of politicians’ pay, which particularly affected senators rearing children.

“Most of the members of the Seanad are full-time politicians and they don’t have any other income,” he said. “They have taken a pay cut and then have to pay their levies. It’s not easy.”