Public sector reform - Denial is still blocking vital change

THE confirmation of a referendum to allow the Government to treat judges’ pay as it treats every other state employee’s pay is as welcome as it is inevitable.

The referendum to amend Article 35.5, if passed, will close a loophole which has come to be seen as a contrived protection of privilege enjoyed by an elite already very well rewarded for the work they do. There is no public mood to sustain such indulgence. The referendum will be held on the same day as the presidential election and delivers on a promise made in the programme for government.

Our circumstances make it impossible to have any group, no matter how important to the functioning of the state, able to remain untouched by the realities of the day. This is especially so when the softly, softly approach has not achieved the necessary results. A good number of judges responded positively to suggestions that they might volunteer for a pay cut, but a significant amount did not. That response is no longer acceptable. Nor is the argument that their independence might be impinged upon if their pay was a matter for Government.