Kenny’s pay compares well with other leaders

John Leahy should have checked his facts before he penned his recent letter on the “sense of entitlement” in Irish politics (Jan 21).

He says that “the current Taoiseach ……. is content to be among the highest paid leaders in the world, as are his colleagues in cabinet who are the envy of their peers in the UK”.

Firstly, the salary of members of the UK cabinet is €164,000, compared to €150,000 in Ireland. Considering that there are just 15 ministers in cabinet, compared to 30 in the UK, the level of our own ministers’ salaries is not at all excessive by comparison.

Secondly, Taoiseach Enda Kenny is paid €185,000. This compares to €295,000 for Barack Obama, €290,000 for Angela Merkel, and €214,000 for the prime minister of Canada, some 20% to 40% more than the Taoiseach in each case. The salaries of the prime ministers of Denmark and Finland — EU countries which are similar in size to Ireland — are €160,000 and €178,000 respectively, broadly similar to that of the Taoiseach’s.

Mr Kenny has cut his own salary by 40% from the hideous €310,000 package enjoyed by Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

So it is simply incorrect to say that our Taoiseach or ministers are among the highest paid in the world. So why is this falsehood constantly repeated ad nauseum?

Barry Walsh

Clontarf

Dublin 3