Independent TDs ‘willing to sacrifice’ €40k bonus

A NEW group of independent TDs said they are willing to hand over their individual €40,000 allowances if the mainstream parties also sacrifice some state funding.

A 16-member “technical group” was formed yesterday promising to strongly challenge the incoming government despite their policy differences.

Just three independents TDs — Michael Lowry, Noel Grealish and Michael Healy Rae — have opted not to join the group and hope instead to depend on government TDs to share out some of their Dáil speaking time.