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AN OUTGOING FIANNA FÁIL TD has been criticised after claiming that his current wage – of over €100,000 a year – leaves him no better off financially than his 1974 salary of £6.
Johnny Brady, a Meath West TD with main offices in Athboy, told a Trim Chamber of Commerce meeting that although he now earned much more than he did in 1974, when be began working for Meath County Council on a salary of £6, his relative take-home pay was no larger.
“People imagine that politicians are cleaning up on salaries and expenses,” the Meath Chronicle quotes him as explaining. “All expenses are vouched for, and we have to put in an account for all expenses and this is there for the media or anyone to see.”
After cuts, taxies and levies, he said, he would take home around €45,000 – which meant that his bank account was not much better off today than when he began his working life.
This was because, he said, he incurred far more personal expenses now than he had previously done – such as having to personally pay for an extension to his house where he could meet visitors, and needing ‘a good car under him’.
The Chronicle adds that Brady denied implying that he struggled to survive on his wage, though he did confirm that his wife would regularly ask him when his paycheque would be arriving, because their bank account would run low.
A businessperson present at the Chamber of Commerce meeting said Brady’s comments had gone down “like a lead balloon”, and commented that many in attendance – who were struggling with their local businesses – were appalled at his comments.
Brady earns a basic salary €98,424 – the highest a TD can earn, based on having more than ten years’ service in the Dáil – and a further €10,012 a year for being chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture & Food.
Until July of 2009, Brady earned over €20,000 a year for being chairman of that committee, which he has chaired since 2002. Oireachtas records show that while Brady does not claim unvouched expenses, his vouched claims regularly amount to €4,670 a month.
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Cut the ridiculous salaries!
Fully agree… What other broadcaster on this island would pay some of those inflated salaries?
How come TV3 can operate without any licence fee? I think their programs are getting better and they are doing it without the licence fee. Where is the licence fee money going in RTE? Fair Poxy City and towards the Plank, Tubs, doom duffys etc salaries?
As far as I can remember TV3 getting some money from the licence fee. The money that goes to BAI for the Sound a Vision fund, TV3 is getting some of that for its documentaries.
Gee imagine a state funded megalith actually expected to operate in budget noooo waaay : )
Heres what I dont understand.
Pat Kenny, paid in excess of 500k. Personally I like listening to his show the odd time and I think he’s a master of his craft with regard interrogation of politicians ala Frontline (we’ll take as a given the Late Late was a disaster for the chap).
That said, his salary is sickeningly enourmous. I always ask the question, what if his contract was not renewed by RTE? (yes he’s a contractor and not an RTE employee). What would he do, Get snapped up by the competition? TV3 is just about keeping it’s head above water.
Anyone would think RTE beleive they’d lose ‘talent’ if they didnt offer the ridiculous salaries they do.
That’s an absolute disgrace!
If they had good programmes on the station but the fact that they don’t.
RTE should be brought to its over paid knees, however it won’t be. It’s a public broadcaster full of overpaid, unionised wasters. It’s the HSE of media. And sending Pet Rabbitte in to tackle it is like pitting Thomas the Tank Engine against Percy or Emily or Gordon. The choo choo gravy train continues…..
Comment if the week!! +1
Sell it off,there’s a fool out there somewhere.
What a novel idea, the tax payer must get value for money. Any chance of applying that pronciple to other government departments and agencies?
I would like to put Rabbitte up for a “Stateing the bleedin’ obvious award”. Of course the BBC has vastly more resources than RTE. It serves 16 times the population, and, as an international news gatherer and broadcaster is able to generate substantial sums from overseas sales.
Execute fair city.
It’s a national embarrassment.
How about the max salary at RTE is capped at €100,000. If they don’t like it they can go to England and get a job there.
Apparently staff (middle management) at RTE have taken a 5% pay cut over the last few years. Did they even notice it? They don’t live in the real world.
I used to like Pat Rabbitte.
He was always witty and and outspoken .
and now he is only a shadow of himself. I would love to know what
is really going on and what these ministers are being told to keep them
quiet and toeing the line.
But Pat you have sadly lost your ability to stand for the people …
Shame.
cheer up eileen, only 30 years to wait and we’ll all be able to read all about it in the papers.
mind you, we’ll have to get our grandchildren to translate it from the German that it’ll be written in if we keep goin along the present course!!
Increase the licence fee to clear the deficit, and add a bit more for the RTE Chrimbo party!
Abolish the licence fee!!!
Total agree.The only way that we can get the irish tv stations is through sky we live in the republic and we pay our licence for what service
The sicken thing about these salaries is that because these people as not employees of rte and most set up as companies they pay very little tax.
At least if pat Kenny and all the others paid and prsi we’d get a fair slice back
are you serious?!?!?!?!?!
these guys don’t pay PAYE on all that dosh? it goes to “Pat the Plank plc.” or whatever???
call me gullible, but that’s a new low if it’s true!!
I think the pay is to high in fact I think we should look at creating a new generation of tv channels in Ireland. We should have a channel for each one of the provinces and split the rte budgets and reduce the salaries. That way we would create new talent and get more people working. It would also be much more democratic.
Leinster tv (LTV)
Munster tv (MTV
Connaught tv (CTV)
Ulster tv1 (UTV1) including all counties of ulster
I also think that the BBC need to be taken to task for discriminating against the republic in their weather reports considering they are using the term British isles.
In fact they should be including all countries of the British isles including Ireland north and south.
Otherwise they should give the weather for the UK and northern Ireland only.
However that might be a dangerous game considering Scotland might take flight then they would only have to include the weather for England Wales and northern Ireland.
The 2006 census shows that there are 112548 British citizens living in Republic of Ireland I wonder what they think of a missing Dublin Cork Galway etc.
We on the other hand could show we are the better man by giving the weather report for the UK & Ireland lol.
Also we should have our tv signals connected with the European satellite programme so when we are on holiday in Spain or wherever we can watch the home channels how bloody difficult would this be.
Watching the weather forecast for Northern Ireland is like watching the forecast for your back garden. It’s so small.
One solution is to stop paying above and beyond for crap US series that are shown at 3am. Reduce the salaries of our “stars”. They arent going anywhere. Who’d employ them. Scrap Fairly Shitty. Scrap all non-essential programming and radio expenses. Hire someone with a huge stick!
oops,, their’s pat kenny’s 500+ gone,, and ryan tubby’s too,, about bloody time
if tv3 can survive so can rte,just cut the stupid salaries.
Call me cynical, but I foresee a lot of good publicity coming the Government’s way from RTE.
There is no such thing as a TV licence it is an RTE TAX,1.6million people pay it not because they want to but because they have to or they will end up in court fined or jailed,I blame the people for paying it get a million people on the streets demanding the government abolish it or reduce the Fee if RTE don’t produce decent programming but patetically it won’t happen RTE=GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT=RTE the deficit is 25million and the evasion cost due to non payment is 30million hahahahahaha what a coincidence give Pet Rabbite an IFTA,have to go now The ANGELUS is about to start Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong
Sell it or make it subscription based.
In my opinion the licence should be abolished and pay per view system be brought in.
Ladies and Gentleman when you dip your hands into your pockets to pay 160euro for this think of your Esb gas home insurance and more importantly health insurance,imagine your health insurance premiums are going up but you lose 160euro to an rte tax which u are forced to pay with a threat of a custodial sentence hanging over you so you have to drop your health insurance or reduce your health plan,its the one tax I hate,FUCKING PRIVATISE RTE Its a parasitic organization bleeding the taxpayers dry and losing money,ill be delighted to see the back of it
Sell 2fm for a start
No Chris sell the whole damn thing not just 2FM
BBC news breaking news
4.5million dead in Ireland
England discovered her neighbours were all dead this morning when she called in to see why things have been so quiet recently no moaning no whining from ireland.
After sending in a state pathologist it was discovered the 4.5 million dead had naturally all died of boredom watching fairly shitty. Lol
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