Madam, - Your front-page report last Saturday about the Taoiseach's fifth pay rise in six months shows that standards can fall even at the paper of record when news is scarce.
Surely the real story here is the low level of reward paid to the holder of the office of Taoiseach. A salary of €252,000 for the CEO of Ireland Inc. is farcical. How many industry CEOs would be prepared to take on the post for this salary with a job description that includes:
• 24 hour, 365 day availability;
• a requirement to reapply for the post every five years or less;
• effective debarment from acquiring commercial interests;
• constant public accountability with its implications for personal privacy;
• ultimate responsibility for all decisions affecting the country?
The inadequacy of the pay for the post is further highlighted in your piece where you state that the salaries of secretaries general will rise to €240,000.
These positions are nowhere close to par with the Taoiseach's job. In fact, is it not ludicrous to have the Taoiseach benchmarked with any other grade?
Your report, in my view, contributes to the "dumbing down" of politics. - Yours, etc,
GERRY CROSBIE, The Sweepstakes, Dublin 4.