North Atlantic Skyline - - Photographs from the west of Ireland (Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Roscommon and even Leitrim)

It's better to give than to receive

As Noel Grealish, TD remarked on RTE this week, it is one of the few times that the Progressive Democrats and Sinn Fein are united on an issue. The Galway West TD was talking about the so-called scrappage scheme which is the compensation scheme to persuade members of the Dáil to give up their elected seats on local authorities.

Noel decided last week to give his twelve thousand euro (the amount depends on when they resign) to local charities. By a coincidence, so did Martin Ferris of Sinn Féin. Noel is following in a PD tradition; Des O'Malley and Bobby Molloy refused their state pensions while they were serving ministers (an example that no-one else followed). Noel's view is that the compensation is unnecessary - TD's earn enough already. Of course, it is not an entirely altruistic gesture (unless you subscribe to Richard Dawkin's view of altruism) - TDs are constantly called upon to support local causes, and having twelve grand to spread around the constituency won't do them any harm at all.