THE GOVERNMENT has informed Opposition parties that it wishes to rush an emergency piece of financial legislation through the Dáil and Seanad next Friday.
Government chief whip John Curran told his counterparts in Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin yesterday that the Government wanted the Financial Emergency Bill 2010 to have concluded its passage through both Houses of the Oireachtas by 1pm next Friday.
A spokesman for the chief whip said later the Bill would be giving effect to budgetary measures.
Neither he nor the Department of Finance would comment further on the nature of those measures.
It is understood the legislation will be drafted to give effect to expected changes in public sector pay announced in the budget. The Government’s four-year austerity plan already includes an undertaking to cut public sector pensions by 4 per cent.
There has been growing speculation the Government will implement substantial reductions in ministerial pay and also in the pension schemes of TDs, Ministers and senior civil servants.
Speaking on RTÉ this week, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said he intended to deal with this issue, as well as the lump-sum paid to public servants on retirement, in the budget.
It comes as a number of Fianna Fáil backbenchers have again called for Brian Cowen to step down as leader of the parliamentary party. The moves follow the publication of a poll showing further decline in support for the party.
Speaking earlier yesterday, former minister Mary O’Rourke described the poll findings as “awful”, and expressed concern the party might be wiped out in the general election.
The Red C poll put Fianna Fáil in fourth place at 13 per cent, three points behind Sinn Féin.
Mrs O’Rourke said she thought Mr Cowen must be reconsidering his position, and wondering if it was in his best interests to continue as leader of Fianna Fáil.