TDs v British MPs ... a ‘superficial comparison’ of costs and conditions

I HAVE to take issue with the headline and conclusions of the article by Shaun Connolly – ‘TDs v MPs: 33% less work for 20% more pay’ – comparing the service, pay and conditions of British MPs and Irish TDs (August 31).

What both have in common is that they are linked to civil service scales, in the case of TDs to principal officers (general service) while senators are linked to assistant principals.

Civil service pay in the middle and upper levels did increase considerably between 2000 and 2008, but between pay cuts and the pension levy it has been reduced over the past couple of years, in the case of ministerial office-holders by 15%-20% (and the number of ministers of state has been reduced from 20 to 15). There are at least twice the number of office-holders in Britain’s central government alone.