Taoiseach’s token pay cut hardly an inspirational act in the national interest

WHEN speaking at the recent 1916 commemoration at Arbour Hill in Dublin, Taoiseach Brian Cowen spoke of the need to maintain a “unity of purpose” in the face of the nation’s current economic challenge.

This unity of purpose would be greatly served by his shouldering a more meaningful portion of the austerity measures required of the nation. It’s not about the sums or savings involved – it’s about our leader communicating to us, through action as well as rhetoric, both the perilous situation the economy is in and the sacrifice required of us.

Nobody is looking for messianic self-denial, but a pay cut which retains our leader’s position among the highest paid heads of state in the EU (while having the highest EU deficit and one of the highest jobless rates) is more token than meaningful and hardly constitutes an inspirational act in the national interest.