MICHAEL FINN,
Sir, - Have we all gone mad? More staff (205) in the Taoiseach's Department than at 10 Downing Street (190)?
Thirty-one special or press advisers are paid approximately €2 million, an average of €64,500 each! Six of these are paid a total of €610,466, an average of over €100,000 each!
Each Government Minister has a cohort of civil servants ranging from Secretary General downwards to supply whatever special advice is necessary to assist Ministers in the execution of their onerous duties.
But that it seems, does not suffice to enable Ministers to function properly without the assistance of their growing ranks of "special advisers".
Methinks the summary dismissal of all 31 of these advisers would pass unnoticed in the conduct and management of the nation's business and the saving of €2 million could be put to more profitable use.
Will this happen? Of course not! These advisers perform the task of providing a comfort blanket for Ministers and help to insulate them from the realities of life.
God be with the days when Cosgrave and De Valera were capable of running the country without the need for a host of "special advisers" to boost the self-importance of a coterie of inadequate politicians. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL FINN,
Ballina,
Killaloe,
Co Clare.