Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2021-12-09
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Rebecca Moynihan (LAB), Administrative Panel

I thought about it and wondered what if somebody was a victim of domestic violence and was working for a Senator, and his or her name was published stating that he or she was working for X Deputy or X Senator or whomever? People have this idea that they are public property and that they have ownership over them for such low salary and low wages.
We all put ourselves on a ballot paper, be it a Seanad or Dáil ballot paper or whatever. We all put ourselves out there in the public and we are well paid and well remunerated. Our secretarial assistants do not have that privilege, however. I ask when the commission comes, if it comes, that the Minister will fight the side, because he also has a secretarial assistant, against officials who I would say have not properly had a look and sat down to ask what a person could buy for €468 per week. What could a person rent for €468 per week? How will a person plan his or her future on €468 per week?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2021-12-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:57+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-12-09