FIVE GOVERNMENT backbenchers have been elected to chair Oireachtas committees, for which they are paid almost €10,000 on top of their TD salary.
Clare TD Pat Breen was yesterday elected chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, while another Fine Gael TD, Andrew Doyle from Wicklow-South Carlow, was elected to chair the Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee, with John O’Mahony as vice-chairman.
Mr Breen identified the fight against hunger, the promotion of human rights and a strong EU among his priorities. The vice-chairman will be Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan.
Tipperary South TD Tom Hayes said after his election as chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Administration Committee that he wanted to find a way to make Leinster House more accessible to the public.
Jerry Buttimer, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, was elected vice-chairman.
Since 2009, payments to chairpersons of committees have been cut from €20,023 to €9,511. Payments for vice-chairs and whips were discontinued.
On Tuesday, Labour’s Ciarán Lynch TD was elected as chairman of the newly formed Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and Gaeltacht, with Noel Coonan, Fine Gael TD for Tipperary North, as his vice-chair.
Cork East TD David Stanton will chair the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, with Joanna Tuffy of Labour as vice-chair.
There are 10 fewer committees than in the last Dáil and TDs will chair all but three of them. Two chairs will be elected today.