Sir, – The first line of Rehab’s statement (Home News, February 18th) is: “its mission is to promote equality and fight disadvantage”. Is the aim then to bring everyone’s salary to €272,400 a year or is this an Animal Farm type of equality where “some are more equal than others”? – Yours, etc,
JACK MONTGOMERY,
Blackrock,
Dundalk,
Co Louth.
Sir, – I refer to your Front page report (February 18th) and the unrelenting reportage in the media on the salary of the Rehab CEO, Angela Kerins.
It strikes me that there is an underlying implication in the media and the public mind that the Rehab CEO’s salary is not justified no matter what; mirrored with a popular belief that any six-figure salary or salary greater than the Taoiseach’s is reprehensible in this day and age.
I believe this public perception is a result of five years of recession, failed personal expectations and a growing Irish tendency towards begrudgery, especially among ourselves. This perception is being willingly fuelled by the Public Accounts Committee, which claims to act for public transparency but in reality is trying to lead the charge in public indignation.
Are we becoming a witch-hunt nation that is anti-everything we don’t have? Are we as a nation going to blindly chase our begrudgeries to the bottom of the indignation pile? It certainly seems that way whenever I open a paper or turn on the radio. – Yours, etc,
JONATHON ROTH (Dr),
Clancys Strand,
Limerick.
Sir, – Many people will, I expect, follow John McGeorge's lead (February 18th) in ceasing to make contributions to charities which fail to disclose the salaries of their managers. Debate is likely to continue indefinitely on whether some of these salaries are unjustifiably high. In an ideal world well-qualified and well- meaning individuals would take on these jobs for little or no salary as their contribution to society. In 2014 Ireland such people are rare, but they do exist.
However, is it not more important for the charities to inform us how the recipients of the high salaries came to be appointed in the first place? Were these posts openly advertised? How were the post-holders selected? Have their salaries subsequently been generously increased by boards, and (if so) on what basis?
I am happy to contribute to a charity whose managers receive high salaries where this reflects the complexity of the charity’s activities. In return I expect the board of the charity to be totally open about how it recruits managers and the basis on which their salaries are determined. – Yours, etc,
JEREMY GILBERT,
Goleen, Co Cork.
Sir, – If I were to donate €20 per month to Rehab (as I did), it would take me over 1,000 years to donate one year’s salary for the CEO.
Would that I should live so long. – Yours, etc,
TONY BOURKE,
Greygates,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Sir, – The recently divulged salary of €240,000 (a year) paid to Angela Kerins, chief executive of Rehab – is subject to various concerns in your paper . In contrast, the report (Sport, February 17th) that Wayne Rooney –footballer –is likely to secure a deal which could be worth at least €366,000 [a week] appears in a more positive light. Enough said! – Yours, etc,
CLIFF FORSYTH,
Foxrock Manor,
Dublin 18.