Why stop at politicians and senior civil servants.Cutting their pay will have little impact on the national finances.
Hospital consultants, University and IT lecturers and numerous other grades are also grossly overpaid in comparison to UK.

In the budget he cut expenses other than mileage (which had been cut by 25% - not enough because civil service rates were always too generous) by 10%.

That means that Dublin TD's turning up money which was c.€61.33 per day tax free unvouched will now be 10% less. Big deal! No other worker is paid travelling to work money let alone a sum that bears no relation to the actual cost. Gormley for example would have cycled from ringsend to the Dail. Now he has the ministerial eco car. Lucinda Creighton lives in Dublin 4 - she could walk in. Eamon Ryan lived in Ranelagh - LUAS nearby.

Turning up money should be abolished for Dublin deputies and vouched expenses paid for travel for country TDs with public transport to be used Some hope of that!

Shortly before Bertie Ahern was forced to leave the field of play wasn't there some commission appointed to look into the remuneration packages of the good and the great in Irish politics and they came to the conclusion that another 14% on top of existing rates was what was called for, I do not know if there was an existing link for this story but it just demonstrated the mindset of these people's opinions of their own worth.

I can see how it might be seen as improper for politicians to award themselves a pay increase but when it is a matter of deciding on a reduction in how much they are paid, I doubt anyone would see it as improper provided the decrease was substantial.