FF in bizarre defence of Taoiseach pay hike

FIANNA FÁIL yesterday launched a bizarre defence of the Taoiseach’s extraordinary salary by claiming that 13,000 people out of a workforce of nearly two million earn more money than he does.

Martin Mansergh, the Tipperary South TD and former special adviser on Northern Ireland to the Taoiseach, yesterday said that 12,000-13,000 people would be better paid than Bertie Ahern in 2009 when his earnings rise to more than €310,000.

Figures obtained by Dr Mansergh from the Department of Finance show that a minuscule number of taxpayers, 9,680, earned more than €300,000 in 2006.

Extrapolating these figures to two years’ time (when all of the Taoiseach’s salary increase will kick in) Dr Mansergh claims that the figure rises to up to 13,000 when you factor in the 3,000 Irish tax exiles living abroad (although it’s not known how many of those earn more than €300,000 per annum).

Even at that higher figure, it equates to a mere 0.65% of the working population. And in the reply to the parliamentary question, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen also pointed out that working married couples who have elected for joint assessment are counted as one tax unit.

Dr Mansergh claims that this puts “into perspective” some of the recent controversy. And in a pointed criticism of newspapers, the Tipperary deputy says that the high earners include people working at senior levels in the media, business people, professionals and some higher paid GPs.

“A vast majority, though not all, would be in more secure employment,” he said.

Dr Mansergh, one of Mr Ahern’s strongest supporters within the FF parliamentary party, continued: “Either a lot of the most successful people are overpaid, or it must be accepted in the context of this society that the Taoiseach’s salary is commensurate with his responsibilities, which ultimately are greater than anyone else’s.”

However, there was strong reaction from the opposition to the latest defence of the Taoiseach’s €38,000 pay hike following Mr Ahern’s complaint last week that he was poverty-stricken compared to other world leaders like Nicholas Sarkozy because he didn’t have a summer palace, a yacht or domestic staff.

Fine Gael’s front bench spokesman Brian Hayes said Dr Mansergh was completely missing the point.

“The issue is that the Taoiseach and his ministers have been urging restraint on behalf of everybody else while they are breaching that themselves and showing a very poor example,” said Mr Hayes.

“And as for Martin Mansergh’s defence, he has always been in the habit of supporting Fianna Fáil taoisigh when they are in trouble. He has done it in the past with Mr Haughey and he is doing it now with Mr Ahern.”

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Dr Mansergh said that the debate over Mr Ahern’s pay had been overblown: “I think that probably people do not realise how may people in this society are better paid than the Taoiseach.”