Reasons we might begrudge ministers their pay

BRIAN LENIHAN is irritated. One of his budget measures has been greeted with a “deal of begrudgery” and he “cannot allow this to go unchallenged,” he says.

The measure in question is the decision to cut Cabinet pay. The Taoiseach is taking a €14,000 cut, which will reduce his salary to €214,000. Ministers are taking a €10,000 cut, which will reduce their pay to €181,000.

These are not the first cuts they have taken — at its highest point in September 2008, Brian Cowen’s salary was €285,582. That same month, a minister’s salary was €225,195.