The Green Party will make a strong case for a reduction in the number of junior ministers, as well as for cuts in allowances paid to Oireachtas members, in order to help gain public acceptance of planned cost-cuts across the board, a senior party member said.
Green Party chairman Senator Dan Boyle said today the number of junior ministers should be reduced by “at least three”, but that if it needed to go further, that could also be up for discussion.
Mr Boyle said there had to be changes in the political system and in the structure of government in order to mirror any curbs in public expenditure. "Otherwise getting public acceptance of those expenditure curbs is not going to happen. Obviously, as a party of government, we are going to make that case very strongly.”
In total, there are now 20 Ministers of State. As the junior Government partner, the Greens have two full ministers and a junior minister. Mr Boyle said it was a matter for the Cabinet who would serve in those positions.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Boyle said the changes proposed by his party would only bring about "very small cost-savings in relation to the gap we have to meet". He said the decision to create the 20 minister of state positions last June was a Cabinet decision.
“One of the things that we will be arguing is that you look at your most recent rises in expenditure and you see if they can be pared back upon. The most obvious rise that has happened in the system of government has been the increase in the numbers of ministers of state. Particularly at these times, I think there’s a case for reducing them.”
“The number has increased, I think, from six to 11, to 15 to 17 under the Rainbow government and now [to] 20.
“I think the actual number is something that has to be agreed again and it has to be downwards. Certainly, the additional expenditure – the three new places – would have to be looked at.”
Mr Boyle said the reduction in the number of junior cabinet posts needed to be “at least three”. “I think the new additional positions can’t be justified in the current climate and if it needs to go further, that’s a matter for debate.”
“We know the circumstances are different now…the cost savings will not be huge and the work allocations would have to be given to a smaller number of people, but the reality is that we live in different economic times and a decision has to be made, both within politics in general and within the structures of government that will make people understand that these are changes being made across the board.”
On whether the Green Party junior minister for food Trevor Sargent would be a “volunteer” to lose his position, Mr Boyle said the decision about who served as a minister or as a minister of state was “a matter for the Government”.
He disagreed that the Greens were “over-represented” in the Government.
“The proportion that the Green Party has in this Government is actually smaller than the Progressive Democrats would have had in previous governments, and that Democratic Left would have had in previous governments. The additional positions have not gone to the minority party in government. “
Mr Boyle said it was “vitally important” that curbs on public expenditure were mirrored within the political system “because public acceptance is not going to follow from the large-scale changes that we’re going to have to make”.
The Green Party chairman said some of the other changes proposed by his party were in areas such as the allowances paid to TDs and senators.
“For instance, we have suggested that the [mileage] allowance should only be paid at the smallest possible rate for a vehicle, rather than people getting a reward for having a larger type of car.
“There are other systems that could be put in place, that the allowances be linked to attendance or voting, so that there’s a greater degree of accountability.”
Questioned on the suggestion by the chairman of the so-called ‘Bord Snip Nua’, Colm McCarthy, that residential property could be subjected to rates in order to create a more stable tax base, Mr Boyle said any system of taxation had to be fair.
“We would certainly favour a system of taxation where there is greater reliance at a local level for local government bodies on taxes like this. I think the political difficulty is in relation to residential homes, but properties that are commercial properties or that are second properties are open to that consideration.”