Progressive Democrats leader and Minister for Health Mary Harney should not accept a €36,000 pay rise, her colleague Senator Fiona O'Malley has said. Ms O'Malley may yet contest the leadership of the party.
Last night, Ms Harney stayed silent in the face of the challenge from the Dún Laoghaire-based Senator, who lost her seat in the general election and whose plans to consider a move to Limerick have been stymied by the recent constituency boundary revisions.
Asked on Newstalk 106's Lunchtime with Eamon Keaneprogramme if Ms Harney should refuse the 12 per cent salary increase, Ms O'Malley said: "I'd be inclined to think all of them should. They shouldn't take it, all of them together. If I was running the country I'd be inclined not to do it."
However, she reserved particular criticism for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, accusing him of scoring "an own goal" at a time when he has been asking the public to exercise pay restraint in the face of economic difficulties.
"He has just done an own goal as far as I'm concerned because we're going to be asking people to exercise restraint and all of this. I know [the pay review body] is independent and I know it's separate and know it's always been removed directly from politicians paying themselves."
A compromise solution could be found if the increase was held over until the next administration "so that he himself mightn't personally benefit from it - but I think it is not wise at this time.
"When the Minister for Finance keeps advising us that we are coming into a difficult time . . . I just think 'do as I say, not as I do' and that keeps ringing in my ears and he's just made life a lot more difficult for politicians."
Ms O'Malley's father, Des and his colleague, Bobby Molloy, refused to accept ministerial pensions, worth £8,800 and £7,100 respectively, in October 1987. The decision was taken after the Progressive Democrats introduced a Private Members Bill to end payment of ministerial pensions to still serving politicians. The two accepted the payments a number of years later.
"My father at one time did refuse his pension and then of course my mother was quite amazed about it, I don't mind telling you. She had to rear six children and it was at a time when politicians weren't well paid. He didn't take it but he was still taxed on getting it so he was in a very negative situation."
