Unapologetic Taoiseach defends salary hike

AN unapologetic Taoiseach yesterday defended his €38,000 pay hike and insisted it was unfair to make comparisons with salaries of other world leaders.

Amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over senior and junior ministers’ salary increase, the Taoiseach insisted the recommendations of the Review Body on Pay would be implemented. Asked about the fact that he now earns more than British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US President George W Bush, Mr Ahern emphatically denied that such comparisons could be made. “I’m glad I don’t own Chequers and I don’t have Number 10. If you want to build those in then you know what the figures would be. I certainly don’t want the White House. There is no comparison and I think people will know that.”

The Taoiseach said he was unaware of any public outrage and told journalists that the focus should be diverted to other public service workers who had received increases. “Politicians are 5% of that overall review and I think in the last one the increases weren’t of a very high nature,” he said. “If you [journalists] want to do something good, you should look at the other 95% who you have been dodging for the last 24 hours.”