Sir, – Your article “Troika concern over focus on debt deal” (January 28th) includes the widely quoted statement emanating from the European Commission that Irish medical consultants are being paid twice the rate in the UK for their public work. It is more than unfortunate that not only is this disingenuous but also factually incorrect.
It seems a few arithmetic lessons wouldn’t go astray, given that the average public salary of a consultant in the UK in 2011 as estimated by the NHS information centre was circa €136,305 (£116,900) not to mention a lower rate of income tax.
That consultants are well paid is not in question, but the bandying about of inaccurate statements is! – Yours, etc,