Politicians should explain their own pension deals before asking others to accept cuts

YOUR columnist Fergus Finlay (October 28) is wrong to infer raising taxes by itself is a good way to solve the economic mess.

It was revealed in a weekend newspaper recently that various former politicians and public servants below the normal retirement age are in receipt of very large pensions while also being paid very large salaries in their new roles.

Some of them are aged over 65 and while their pensions are outrageous, it seems that according to the letter of the law, if not the spirit, they are legally entitled to be claiming a full pension even though still in receipt of a full-time income.

Can someone claim to be retired and working full-time at the same time, or is that just another perk allowed to TDs? If this Government wants the Irish people to row in behind it, then it has to start being honest about its role in creating this recession.

People are not stupid and they know that simply raising taxes and cutting benefits is not enough to tackle the root causes of the problems we face today.

People want to know exactly where the waste is in the public sector and what is going to be done about it before they hand over another blank cheque.

Until the Government provides that information, then people will not be willing to make the sacrifices being asked of them.

People who are over 50 will recall the recessions of the 1970s and ‘80s caused by Fianna Fáil incompetence.

With a bit of luck the latest opinion poll, while only a snapshot in time, is a first sign that people are finally starting to make the link between supporting Fianna Fáil and the mess we are in — again.

To begin to restore some faith in its ability to clean up its own mess, the Government could implement some immediate reform in the public sector and lead by example with a compulsory reduction of at least 25% in the gross salary (and pension funds) of all politicians (serving and retired), and with immediate effect reclassify the pensions of all serving Oireachtas members as defined contribution.

The Government should also ban Oireacthas members from being able to claim any public sector pension while under their normal retirement age.

Wouldn’t that be a good first step and a good gesture of faith to the public that Fianna Fáil and ex-PD Oireacthas members understand both the gravity of the situation they have caused by their incompetence and why they are held in such utter contempt.

Desmond FItzGerald

Wharf Lane

Canary Wharf

London