Madam, - This week the contract of the manager of one Irish team was terminated following a string of poor performances. Meanwhile, the manager of another Irish team, who has also performed dismally since being appointed and who has squandered considerable talent and resources of late, has been awarded yet another pay increase on top of his already substantial salary.
How convenient that this news, like the announcement of Aer Lingus leaving Shannon and the Government's sorry role in that whole episode, has been made public on a bank holiday weekend when many people are busy travelling.
At a time when the Taoiseach's Minister for Finance and his preferred heir to the throne has declared that the economy is expected to experience a downturn, it speaks volumes that yet another "independent" pay review body has awarded politicians pay increases are well above the current rate of inflation.
The years of the Celtic Tiger, now that we are in the last days of this phenomenon, will be recalled in future years as the single great missed opportunity to solve many of the ills that have bedevilled this State since its foundation. Compared with other European countries we still have an infrastructure, a transport system and health and education systems that languish in the lower divisions.
Of course, the real problem is that we, the Irish electorate, are the people who decided to renew the Taoiseach's contract for another five years last June. Consequently, Irish taxpayer - and in particular the PAYE taxpayers who proportionately pay most tax - are the people who will have to fund these salary increases while having their own modest pay demands denied and held in check by an unholy alliance of the Government and partnership-obsessed trade unionists.
For my money, I believe that Irish football did better this week than Irish political life and that the FAI is not the only professionally incompetent organisation in this State. - Yours, etc,
DAVID DOYLE, Gilford Park, Sandymount, Dublin 4.
Madam, - Once again the benchmarking process has thrown up hefty increases for the Taoiseach and other senior politicians and civil servants.
Who exactly are these people being benchmarked against? Surely not private-sector chief executives, who are held accountable not only for their actions but also the results of their actions. Presumably not against other leaders either, given that the Taoiseach's salary is now higher than George Bush's and Gordon Brown's.
People in Sligo and the north-west took to the streets on Wednesday night protesting at ward closures. People are dying wanting for a proper health care system - yet it is deemed appropriate to give Ministers ludicrous salary increases? Let them eat cake! - Yours, etc,
DAITHI Ó BUACHALLA, Uachtar Ard, Co Gaillimhe.
Madam, - The report by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector comes at the perfect time for Finance Minister Brian Cowen. No doubt he is currently preparing a budget which will pare down large elements of the Programme for Government and Fianna Fail's pre-election promises in the light of tightening Exchequer finances. He can now lead from the front by rejecting the proposed pay rises for himself and his Government colleagues. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL MORIARTY, Clones Road, Monaghan.
Madam, - So the Taoiseach is to receive a rise of €38,000 a year. Now that's what I call a nice dig-out. - Yours, etc,
MARTIN LOUGHNAN, Skerries, Co Dublin.
Madam, - It is official. We are a banana republic. Ahern is to be paid more than €300k; Cowen almost as much. There are pay rises for the great and the good of over 12 per cent. While people lose their jobs and Cowen bangs on about living within our means, it is a real case of "Do as I say, and not as I do."
The new figure for the Taoiseach's salary means that will be paid (I do not believe he earns) more than Chancellor Merkel of Germany. Germany is a country of 15 times our population with infinitely more influence in Europe and the world.
Truly we voted for a pig in a poke. - Yours, etc,
JOHN R BAILEY, Cowper Downs, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Madam, - If the Taoiseach, senior civil servants and other state officials wish to match their salaries with those in the private sector, they should suffer the consequences of mismanagement, just like their counterparts in the real world. - Yours, etc,
KEITH NOLAN, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.