On prevailing side: this member voted with the winning side in 509 of 516 decisive votes (0 abstentions excluded). Read it as a government-or-opposition indicator rather than a measure of influence — the figure is near 100% for members supporting the government of the day and near 0% for those opposing it.
This is the point of the site: contributions keep the party held on the day, not the one held now.
| Party | Recorded as | Contributions | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| FF | Fianna Fáil | 19,180 | 2020-02-20 – 2026-09-30 |
Membership spells on record: FF 1989-06-15–1992-11-05 · FF 1992-11-25–1997-05-15 · FF 1997-06-06–2002-04-25 · FF 2002-05-17–2007-04-30 · FF 2007-05-24–2011-02-01 · FF 2011-02-25–2016-03-09 · FF 2016-03-10–2020-01-14 · FF 2020-02-08–2024-11-08 · FF 2024-11-29–present
That must be acknowledged. We discussed this on Leaders' Questions. As I said with regard to any individuals who are genuinely wronged, I have no issue with those cases being reviewed. There have been compliance measures at airports and ports since 2012 in respect of social protection.
This must be kept in perspective. There are 287,000 people legitimately on the pandemic unemployment payment. That will continue and we have extended it to the end of next March. We are talking about a handful of cases here. I have no issue with those cases being reviewed and fair play being applied to everybody. However, there is an extraordinary schedule of legislative activity to be completed today and tomorrow so we must proceed with the schedule as agreed by the Business Committee.
On the Ministers of State at the Cabinet table, the legislative changes will result in no additional cost to the taxpayer. The three Ministers have issued a statement to that effect. They will be taking a 10% cut in addition to not availing of the additional amount that was voted through in the legislation last week. In respect of my own situation, I will be gifting back to the State close to €25,000 over the 12 months. That includes a 2% pay increase for public servants in the autumn, which I will not accept and I…
The Deputy knows full well we are talking about Ministers gifting back a portion of their salary.
Yes. There is a set salary for An Taoiseach, An Tánaiste and Ministers.
The same applied to Deputy Kelly when he was a Minister. The point is there is a set rate. In respect of any increases that have come the way of Ministers in the last number of years, they gifted them back. We decided to make it cleaner yesterday by saying 10% across the board, which in my case will result in gifting back close to €25,000 to the State. That is a gift back but it is a de facto cut, as well, in what one would ordinarily receive. The Deputy is correct that the pension entitlement relates to the rate t…
I sought a report from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection this morning in regard to this issue. As part of its normal control work, the Department carries out compliance inspections at ports and airports throughout the course of the year. Since 2012, social welfare inspectors have had legal powers to carry out those checks as part of the ongoing-----
I am answering the Deputy's question. They have had legal powers to carry out those checks as part of the ongoing control and compliance work they are engaged in. The legal basis for the control and compliance checks is section 250(16) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended by section 17 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012. I understand that amendment was introduced by the then Minister, Joan Burton. Since March 2020, 2,000 pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, claims have been closed - that…
How is it different?
I have already said to the House that I will be gifting back €25,000 as a result of yesterday's decision. I have no difficulty in doing that. I am happy to gift it back to the State. It is coming from the salary I would have been entitled to receive at the commencement of my term as Taoiseach. I have also said that on an ongoing basis and at different times, I have gifted back parts of salary and gifted back an entire severance to the State. Again, I have no difficulty with doing that. On the more general question …
The idea of competing with each other to-----
I am not saying that at all. I am talking about Deputies.
Deputy Doherty's constituency office is well funded. I understand some of the funding is from America.
I never said that.
I made no allegation in terms of Deputy Doherty doing anything illegal whatsoever.
I do know that it has been publicly said that there was American support of Sinn Féin constituency offices in Donegal.
If the Deputy is saying there was absolutely none, I will accept his clarification. However, that was publicly stated, on the record, and there were people thanking the benefactors who helped them to develop their office and so on.
Just as, by the way-----
May I make a point of order?
The vote earlier was on the Order of Business and how the schedule of business will proceed. It was not in relation to any specific proposal or any particular social welfare measure.