Seanad referendum - Abuse of the system must be reformed

Senators will get generous severance packages if the electorate votes to scrap the Seanad in this week’s referendum. Some of the payments are an insult to the electorate.

In a republic, all people supposedly have equal rights, but politicians have been flouting this concept. It is a recognised part of the capitalist system that different kinds of work are valued differently, but on retiring all people make essentially the same contribution to society.

Questions should therefore be asked about why retired politicians should receive payments that are denied to other segments of society, especially to people who may have served three or four times as long in their jobs as the politicians.