Salaries’ impasse - Putting pay ahead of all else is wrong

The issues raised by Chief Justice Susan Denham when she warned that some of the best candidates for the bench might not wish to become judges because High Court pay levels have become relatively unattractive, echoes a dilemma having an impact right across society.

Hospital managers and consultants’ representatives have warned it is difficult to fill positions because candidates — often people who moved abroad to widen their professional experience — can earn far more elsewhere.

Third-level education faces the same challenge. Those institutions compete daily with multinational corporations to recruit or retain high-calibre staff. Despite these warnings, and the all too obvious evidence that supports them, what can be done?