'L'Oréal politicians' get big pay-outs – they're not worth it, says Sinn Féin TD

Fianna Fáil former leader Bertie Ahern: Coining it through his embarrassing 'News of the World' TV ad, after-dinner speaking and consultancies is now taking more off the hard-pressed taxpayer

POLITICAL FIGURES like Bertie Ahern and Jackie Healy-Rae who lost or resigned their seats as TDs should get just a basic redundancy package and not bonus payments at the cost of taxpayers, especially during the economic crisis, Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has said.

Peadar Tóibín: 'They're not worth it'

The Meath West deputy said former ministers, TDs and senators are being paid “millions” despite the recession many of them helped create.

The Sinn Féin TD dubbed them “L'Oréal TDs" after the TV glamour cosmetics ad slogan "Because you're worth it."

Getting thousands in extra payments because they’re worth it? No way!

Peadar Tóibín said that figures released to him through the Department of Finance highlight the “scandalous sums of money” being paid to former politicians.

For instance, Bertie Ahern will receive €78,000 this year, while Jackie Healy-Rae will receive more than €88,000.

All sitting TDs who are in receipt of a severance payment for former ministers or ministers of state – such as Willie O’Dea, Billy Kelleher and Dara Calleary – should return those severance packages to the state.

The Sinn Féin TD said that with such a high turnover of TDs and senators in the recent elections the state is facing a bill of €5.3million in severance payments over the course of the year.

At a time when harsh austerity measures, supported by this and the previous government, are causing huge hardship for thousands of families across the state these payments are grossly insulting, particularly when many of those in receipt of this money are guilty of causing the economic mess we are in today.

Sinn Féin believes that politicians who lose or resign their seats should be entitled to a basic redundancy package similar to other workers. There is no reason for these extra payments to be made.