TDs have voted to accept a five thousand euro pay rise.
Three of Tipperary's elected representatives cast their ballot in favour for the increase which was decided in the Dáil last night
A last-ditch effort by Sinn Féin to halt the pay restoration for TDs of €5,000 over the next two years was defeated yesterday evening.
The pay increase falls under the Haddington Road Agreement for public servants.
Sinn Féin put down a motion to stop TDs getting the pay increase…however a counter motion, put forward by the Government and Fianna Fail was passed by 91 votes to 39.
Of Tipperary's five elected deputies, three voted with the Government's counter motion…these were Labour's Alan Kelly, Fianna Fail's Jackie Cahill and Independent Michael Lowry.
Independent Seamus Healy voted against the pay rise…while it's understood that Mattie McGrath was in Dublin, but was not in the Dáil chamber for the vote.
Tipp FM News has attempted to contact all five Tipperary representatives to ask why they voted for or against the counter motion…
Deputy Alan Kelly said he believed TDs should not be in charge of deciding their own pay.
Michael Lowry told Tipp FM that the reason he voted with the Government motion was that “pay is settled under the Landsdown Road Agreement in accordance with pay and remuneration of civil servants…simple as that”.
While Fianna Fail's Jackie Cahill says it's better to have pay linked to a grade in the civil service
Independent Seamus Healy voted against the increase and told Tipp FM that he believed TDs were paid enough already and they must take a stand on this issue.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mattie McGrath says he was paired for the vote last night…which is why he was absent from the Chamber.
However, he said his voting record is one of the highest in the Dáil…and if he was there he would have gone against Sinn Fein's motion and sided with the Government.
