No pay cuts for TDs in Fine Gael proposals

PAY cuts for TDs and ministers are not included in Fine Gael’s four-year budget proposals — despite plans to slash welfare payments by €18 a week.

Deep cuts to public sector numbers, capping public sector pay, water charges and changes to children’s allowance are all included in the party’s proposals for €15 billion of savings between now and 2014.

But party leader Enda Kenny refused to outline any cuts to the €98,000 paid to TDs saying he will announce “a very clear package in regard to these matters in the first week of the general election campaign”.