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17th Oct 2016

Minister for Health Simon Harris: “Politicians setting their own pay is a bad idea”

Tony Cuddihy

He has no intention of accepting a €4,000 pay-rise.

Simon Harris, the Minister for Health, says he has no intention of accepting the pay-rise set out in the recent budget.

Ministers are expected to vote on Tuesday to reject the pay increase at a cabinet meeting, this after TD Finian McGrath told the Irish Independent,  “They (TDs) are probably going to go bananas but as far as I’m concerned, you take the hit.

“We have just come out of a major eight years of austerity and an economic crash and I think these are exceptional times and I think TDs and ministers should take their hit and stop whingeing.”

Harris agrees.

“TDs being linked to civil service pay – going down when they go down and going up when they go up – largely serves the country well,” said the 30-year-old health minister.

“Politicians setting their own pay – I don’t think that’s a good policy.

“I certainly have no intention of taking the increase.”

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