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.

The technical group was formed at a meeting following seven days of informal talks lead by long standing independents, Finian McGrath, who dedicated the agreement to the late Tony Gregory who chaired the first ever technical group in 2002.

It will include 11 independent TDs and five others who are part of the United Left Alliance (ULA), an umbrella group including Joe Higgins and Clare Daly of the Socialist Party, Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins of People Before Profit, and Seamus Healy, formerly of the Workers and Unemployed Action Group.

The role of spokesperson will rotate between Mr Higgins, Mr McGrath and the former senator, Shane Ross.

Mr McGrath sad it was a “historic day” and promised the group will work together and accommodate the views of all members.

“It’s a very diverse group.but the key ethos and principle in our group is that we let people speak their own minds, we let them vote the way they want to, and we come together to enable us to have the same rights and privileges as other political parties,” he said.

The group will provide a strong opposition, he said, by pooling “the amazing amount of talent that we have in relation to banking, issues like education and disabilities, issues like the economy and jobs.

“We have a lot of talented people who are bringing fresh independent and new ideas and I think that’s a very positive thing.”

Each independent TD is entitled to an annual unvouched allowance of €41,000 to “ensure they catch up with members of political parties,” who benefit from a party fund, according to Mr McGrath.

“If they want to slash that or do away with it, my independents colleagues have no issue at all about that,” he said. “Provided they reduce the money to the other main stream political parties.”

Mr Ross said it is not a policy-based group but is being set up specifically to get Dáil time.”

“The variety in the group is its great strength. There are so many different points of view, I think they will be a huge challenge to the Government.”

Former Fianna Fail TD and now independent Mattie McGrath has also joined the group for “the mechanics of the situation, to get speaking time and to avail of the system in the House”.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North) will be the whip of the new group with Maureen O’Sullivan (Dublin Central) as her deputy.

Other members will include: Mick Wallace (Wexford), Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow), Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (Roscommon South-Leitrim), Tom Fleming (Kerry South), John Halligan (Waterford) and Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West).