Members of the public service unions began a nationwide campaign today to lobby TDs over the Government’s plan to introduce a pension levy.
The campaign, spearheaded by Impact with the support of the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) and Siptu, will see TDs all around the country receive at least one Valentine’s Day message from a public servant.
Among the TDs targeted in Dublin were former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his constituency colleague Cyprian Brady at their office in Drumcondra.
Several dozen people protested outside the office at St Luke's this morning.
Impact general secretary Peter McLoone said “people will be explaining to their elected representatives what the consequences for this levy will be on their personal circumstances their income, their budget, and so on”.
He said: “They will be asking TDs why they are being singled out for such a harsh and inequitable penalty despite the fact that the Government had promised that the burden would be shared throughout society and throughout the community”.
The campaign of e-mailing TDs began yesterday with over 1,000 e-mails received by Impact headquarters from people who were also e-mailing their local TDs, an Impact spokesman said.
He said informal groups around the country would be targeting Ministers.
In Arklow, a group would be protesting outside the constituency office of Minister of State Dick Roche, in Limerick, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea could expect a visit as could Minister for Enterprise and Tánaiste Mary Coughlan in Donegal.
“With the INO and Siptu weighing in behind us, we expect it to be a good campaign.”
He said Impact was putting emphasis on lobbying Government TDs, but felt it was important that Opposition TDs were also contacted.
The levy, announced last week by Taoiseach Brian Cowen, would be an unfair extra tax on public servants’ pay, unions have said.
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea today ruled out any fundamental change to plans for the pension levy for public sector workers.