Public betrayal - True cost of adviser pay

It is much too simplistic to suggest the oesophageal cancer treatment of a father of three was cancelled just because the Taoiseach authorised a salary increase of €35,000 for his adviser Ciaran Conlon?

This adviser’s salary of €127,000 exceeded the salary cap.

The Taoiseach received almost 100 letters of complaint after he pushed through the salary increase. He was being blamed by a wide range of people — Fine Gael members, company owners, unemployed people, pensioners, and the families of sick people.

The amount of money involved could not possibly have reversed all of the health cuts, the teaching cuts, or the other assistance payments, but all of those symbolise the deep sense of public betrayal.

Government has been insisting that there must be cuts. People recognise that, but they do not accept that members of the Government should be making exceptions for themselves or their cronies. Good example is a prerequisite of proper leadership, and the Government are only deluding themselves, if they think they will get away with exempting themselves or their friends. There is a political price for such behaviour, as Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have learned.