In praise of politicians with courage of their convictions

A Different View with Dave O’Connell

It’s easy to criticise politicians – easy, and often the right thing to do – but just once in a while it should also be acknowledged that they have the courage to do something that the rest of us never would…to put their name before the people, for validation or rejection without any right of appeal.

And if they are elected to any office, they take the phrase ‘public representative’ to its zenith – because they are owned by the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Nowhere is off-limits – even less so now that social media ensures no shade – and that level of round-the-clock availability also seems to apply to their immediate family who, in fairness, didn’t seek election to anything.

Much is also made about how well paid they are – and they are.

A TD earns just over €100,000 a year, a Senator just over €70,000 a year. The Taoiseach earns €185,000, which is more than most of us – but it’s way less than half of the salary of the head of the HSE for example.

Or, say, a former senior Civil Servant who finds a soft landing with a university post, unwittingly paid for by the rest of us.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.