Politicians riding the gravy train at taxpayers’ expense

AT times, generally around elections, one hears politicians, of all hues, complaining of the stresses and strains of being a servant to our democratic society.

This, of course, is all hubris on their parts. Consider the following: an ex-Taoiseach, who to my mind has never been able to express himself effectively, on lecture tours around the world and reportedly earning €28,000- €30,000 per lecture. Can we now assume that he has a bank account and is fully tax compliant? The massive amounts of parachute payments and pensions being paid to failed political incumbents from the last election.

The scandalous amounts of expenses being claimed and paid to our political elite at all levels of public service.

The shameful acts of family cronyism that are openly practised by our politicians and condoned by their leaders and above all applauded by us, the taxpayer, under the guise of silence. So, the next time one hears a politician moaning about the hard job he/she is doing, take it with a pinch of salt as our Republic definitely cherishes its children equally but some more than others, as in our body politic.

Denis Moloney

Macroom, Co Cork