CIT Students’ Union President, Gearóid Buckley has called on all Oireachtas members to burden an equal sum of the recession.

Recent figures published by the Sunday Independent highlight that the Irish taxpayer has paid over €10m in unvouched expenses to members of both houses of the Oireachtas. “The token gesture reducing salaries and travel rates is an insult to the public whom are solely taking the full burden of this recession. The leaders of our country have taken a €78,000 a day in unvouched expenses while 426,700 people are unemployed. How can any TD or Senator justify over €80,000 tax free expenses while the current national debt stands at over €75 billion excluding NAMA”.

Expenses should only cover the cost incurred while carrying out a particular task, not to fund the lavish life style of some of our TD's. For example TD's and Senators receive a €150 allowance for an over night stay in Dublin, yet hotel rooms have never been so cheap. I'm sure our senior politicians could get an even better price by block booking, or by staying in an apartment. So where does the balance go?

The country and its people have been badly affected by unemployment, emigration, a banking crisis, negative equity, floods, and severe bad weather. The government asked the people to be patriotic and accept the economic downturn, yet we see tax free expenses for TDs rise. Ireland needs change but perhaps the first thing we need to change is the political culture whereby tax-free and unvouched allowances are the order of the day. How can people believe in the values and norms of our politicians and institutions when nothing seems to have changed for them, where is their patriotism?

How can politicians connect with ordinary people when they themselves have remained untouched by the economic downturn - the budgets, the corruption of church and state, the lack of real governance and leadership during, banking crisis, floods and bad weather has left people alienated, and demoralised - a people broken by fear tactics and spin of Fianna Fáil, a people who feel nothing can be done we must live with our lot?

I have proposed the establishment of an independent expenses board in the past, and I believe it is required now more than ever some procedure be put in place to at the very least save the houses of Oireachtas from becoming a venue for a ‘get rich quick scheme’ at the expense of students and graduates.”