Public sector largesse is still going strong

EAMON GILMORE was very quick to jump to the aide of the public sector and its Croke Park agreement “get out of jail card” when an outgoing senior employee of the European Central Bank (ECB) had the temerity to suggest that Irish public sector pay levels should be tackled.

Juergen Stark, who recently resigned from the ECB because of some of its policies, went on to suggest that both the Irish and Greek public sectors were paid considerably more than their European counterparts, particularly at the senior most levels. He was correct in that suggestion, with Irish public sector pay levels being matched with one of the best, if not the best, public sector pensions in the world.

Tying politicians’ pay to certain grades within the public sector was a stroke of genius.