Two-tier pay scale for TDs is a daft idea

FLORENCE CRAVEN has peddled more than a few bizarre ideas on your letters page, but her suggestion that Government backbenchers should get a bigger salary than opposition backbenchers is just plain daft (Letters, September 25).

Has she heard of the concept of equal pay for equal work? Why should a local Fine Gael TD be paid any less than my local Fianna Fáil TD? Does he not do the same amount of work on behalf of his constituents?

Her contention that Government TDs are to opposition TDs what managers are to employees is simply ridiculous, and deeply insulting to members of opposition parties. Since when do they work for Government TDs?

She also claims many TDs “do not deserve what they earn and are not accountable for their salaries as comparative employees would be in other sectors”.

Is Dr Craven aware that a general election is held at least every five years, at which point all TDs are held accountable to us, the voters, and can be booted out of their jobs if we feel they are not delivering value for money?

Can she name any other sector of the public service which faces such a brutal level of accountability on such a regular basis?

Barry Walsh

Brooklawn

Clontarf

Dublin 3