Sir, – “The Budget will be tough- it has to be”, according to the Taoiseach. But not for the special ones, such as Ciarán Conlon, special adviser to Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton. Mr Conlon is now on a very special salary of €127,000 per annum (Home News, December 5th). The rest of us, the not-so-special ones, can continue struggling to make our way down the boulevard of broken promises. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I know times are tough in Montrose, but did they have to repeat a “State of the Nation” broadcast from 1980 on Sunday night? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Listening to the Taoiseach during his address to the nation, a thought struck me. During the Celtic Tiger huge tax incentives were given to property investors in order to drive construction projects. The programme generated massive growth in construction. The problem was that it was all based on borrowed money.
What if our Government was now to incentivise those within our economy who have wealth, to invest it in businesses of their choosing and in so doing drive job creation in the economy?
If the top priority is job creation, I believe this would have far greater benefits for our country than increasing taxes on those with wealth. In return for investing their wealth and creating viable businesses they would get tax breaks on future capital gains which would not materialise for another five to 10 years. If the businesses failed they would lose their investment. My proposal is to let successful, wealthy business people do what they do really well and reward them for it. Let them build successful businesses and incentivise them with future tax breaks to do it. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The prime minister of Italy forgoes his salary (Breaking News, December 5th) whereas our Taoiseach personally intervenes to ensure his own Government’s pay cap on governmental advisers’ salaries is breached.
If the content of the “State of the Nation” address was the best those advisers could cobble together, even the Taoiseach must surely be wondering if his ludicrous hypocrisy was worth it. The adage that one campaigns in poetry and governs in prose has been taken to a whole new depressing extreme. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Given the Taoiseach’s appearance on RTÉ on Sunday evening, I take it that his “State of the Nation” address went down well with the Germans last week. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – It is a matter of national interest: was the Taoiseach wearing a Dunnes Stores or a Charvet shirt? – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Enda Kenny’s address held nothing we didn’t already know. More party political than “State of the Nation”. – Is mise,