Some political briefs
It’s been a relatively quiet weekend, which is why there were no updates over the last few days. Just one or two things to bring to your attention.
Limerick County Council is to shell out the bones of a quarter of a million euro in golden handshakes for Councillors who are either retiring, or who failed to get re-elected. One councillor can expect to pocket close to €40,000. The amount is based partly on the length of time the has-beens have served as councillors. While Cormac Hurley is no longer a councillor, having been elected to the City Council, his time as a County Councillor will be taken into consideration when he does retire from the City Council. Link.
In the City, John Gilligan appears to have had a change of heart after signing a pact with the eight Fine Gael councillors, ensuring the next five Mayors were from the party. After withdrawing from the pact, Fine Gael were forced to call upon their old mate Pat Kennedy, who in return for his suppport, will become mayor in 2012. Denic McCarthy is to lose out. Limerick Leader story.
After only 15 percent of judges opted to take a pay cut, Fianna Fail TD Nial Collins is calling for a referrendum on judges pay. Under the law, judges do not have to accept the same pay cut as every other public employee, and they don’t have to declare publicly whether or not they are taking the cut either