Ten Fine Gael TDs who took a voluntary pay cut last year, including party leader Enda Kenny, have asked for their salary to be restored following the reduction imposed by last December's budget.
Three other Fine Gael politicians have decided to continue with the voluntary deduction despite suffering an official pay cut.
In October 2008, Kenny announced he was taking a 5% cut from his then annual sal-ary of 106,581. The Fine Gael leader, who at the time was proposing a freeze on public-sector pay, described it as a symbolic gesture. A total of 14 other Fine Gael TDs and senators followed their leader's example.
After the budget, the basic salary of a TD is falling by 7,519, from 100,190 to 92,671. A spokesman for Kenny said, in light of this, he has decided to rescind his voluntary pay reduction.
"The Fine Gael leader took a voluntary pay cut 15 months ago to encourage the government to introduce some pay restraint across the public service," Kenny's spokesman said. "We were trying to force the government into making a move on public-service pay. As such, the initiative has been successful."
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Kenny will not be giving any direction to other Fine Gael TDs who took a pay cut. "It was a personal decision to take it, it will be a personal decision to give it up," the spokesman said.
Frank Feighan, a Roscommon TD, will continue volunteering 5% of his salary. "It's a personal decision, nothing to do with politics," he said. "I'm going into houses where people literally don't have money to put food on the table. They're the new poor. I wouldn't feel right giving up the cut, but that's just my decision."
Tom Sheahan, a Kerry TD, made a donation of 5,000 to a local charity in lieu of a pay cut, and has promised to make the same donation again.
Eugene Regan, a Fine Gael senator, will also be continuing with the cut. The nine TDs who will not include Simon Coveney, Richard Bruton, Kieran O'Donnell, Michael D'Arcy, Leo Varadkar, Jimmy Deenihan, Denis Naughten, Deirdre Clune and Joe Carey.
Paul Connaughton, a Galway TD, would not comment. Senator Frances Fitzgerald could not be contacted.