Call to reduce number of Ministers of State

A REDUCTION by up to half of the 20 Ministers of State and the scrapping of many paid positions on Oireachtas committees was demanded by Labour finance spokeswoman Joan Burton.

In another development, Government backbencher and Fianna Fáil TD Ned O’Keeffe sharply criticised the cost of the Oireachtas commission, made up of TDs and Senators, which runs both Houses. He described the commission, which has a budget this year of €137 million, as a “monopoly and monster’’.

Speaking during the economic debate, Ms Burton said there would be all-party agreement on the proposed administrative reduction in Government costs of €140 million. She asked if the Minister proposed to reduce the number of Ministers of State and Oireachtas committees.

“Everybody in the Opposition parties would be happy to sit down and see an across-the-board package that would refer to Ministers of State, because we believe the number could be reduced by one-third or one-half,’’ she added.

“I think the Government would work better. One would not have to try and remember the names of the five Ministers of State in the Department of Education and Science or those in the Department of Health and Children. It would make work in Government much easier.’’

Ms Burton said the committees would be better if almost all of the paid positions were abolished or reduced by at least two-thirds. “Almost everybody, including the Minister’s own backbenchers, wants to make the committees work better,’’ she said.

“There are too many of them; understanding what they do is very confusing and we do not even have enough rooms to service them all. There is competition in booking rooms by all of these gaggles of committees.’’

The same could be said about TDs’ expenses, Ms Burton said.

“If there was a general discussion, I think the Minister would have no difficulty in reaching agreement across the House with political parties,’’ she added.

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said the Taoiseach had made it clear in the House on Wednesday that everybody had to work in the current crisis, including Ministers of State. “They will have to work in this crisis, but he has no immediate proposals for a reduction in their numbers,’’ the Minister added.

“The Government takes the view that Ministers of State are necessary to assist in governing the country in what is a very difficult time.’’ Regarding Dáil committees, the Minister said he welcomed “the proposal mooted by the deputy and will take it up with the Government’’.

Mr O’Keeffe, waving a copy of the Oireachtas commission’s annual report, said a great discussion was taking place about TDs’ salaries and expenses. “The commission we have set up here is a monopoly and monster which must be controlled,’’ he said.

“The House has gone out of control. The commission was introduced to euphoria because people thought it was a great idea. I was a lone voice that was laughed at when I said it was going to cost a fortune to run it.’’ Mr O’Keeffe said he had been proven right, “but the deputies’ expenses will now pay for it’’.

Paul Gogarty (Green Party, Dublin Mid West) welcomed the fact that Oireachtas members would cut back on expenses. There was also need for “real movement’’ on corporate donations.

Fine Gael agriculture spokesman Michael Creed said the House should be prepared to lead by example. Affluence had led to “an explosion in the number of Oireachtas committees, chairmen, convenors and Ministers of State’’. He said there should be one Minister of State for every department and one Oireachtas committee for each department.