Early hours arrival at Dublin Airport this morning, but still the work of Gombeen Nation never lets up. Tireless.
Over a sumptious McDonald’s breakfast, had a quick scan of the Sunday Indo (I assume it’s one of that paper’s many readership-boosting freebies). And what’s this? The heads of many of our state and semi-state bodies are paid more than the head of the most powerful state on Earth? You really do know you're back in Ireland, even if the sun is doing its best to deceive.
Examples:
1. Maurice Manning, head of Human Rights Commission €237,000 per annum. Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general, €171,000.
2. David Gunning, top of the tree in Coillte (Forestry), €407,000. “More than Barack Obama gets”, as the Indo points out.
3. Tracey Cooper, Health Information and Quality Authority, €199,502. €50 grand more than US Federal Reserve kingpin Ben Bernanke. Yes, not exactly like-with-like, I know - but you get the idea.
4. Andrew Kelly, Blood Transfusion Board, €168,000; while his British counterpart gets €146,000. The British service caters for 2.1 milliion donors. Ours has 95,000. So much for economies of scale.
5. Brian Kavanagh, Horse Racing Ireland, €163,000 (“about four times as much as a staff nurse”, according to the Indo). I don’t think there is an equivalent international body that injects state support into the gambling industy.
6. Eamonn Brennan, Irish Aviation Authority, €350,000 in 2008. €125,000 more than the British PM. Dread to think what the British aviation head might be pocketing.
And, finally:
7. “Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), which has lumbered us with the €200m great white elephant of Terminal Two, paid Declan Collier €638,000 in 2008, and €698,000 in 2007. Despite DAA losing a stonking €13m in 2009 and having its €1.25bn gross debt-pile downgraded by ratings agency Moody's over fears that tumbling passenger numbers might hamper its attempts to pay back loans, Collier bagged a €51,000 performance bonus as part of his €568,000 pay packet.
This was in a year when all staff earning over €30,000 were hit with a pay cut and the semi-state introduced a voluntary redundancy scheme to skim off excess staff.The former oil executive has been at the front of a €2bn splurge to make Dublin Airport capable of handling 30 million passengers a year. But in the real world, passenger numbers have fallen from 23.5 million to the 17 million forecast for 2010.
Collier's salary is more than Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy's wages – combined.”
Let's hope we don’t have to wait three-quarters-of-an-hour for our bags to reach the luggage carousel when it finally gets up-and-running.
Home sweet home.
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7 comments:
After doing a little trawling it seems the true economics.ie site states living costs Are 2% higher in Finlnd- but an Irish teacher will still earn 54% more than a Finnish one. But I'm not trashing teachers- the ones who do the real hard work Will work hard and not get huge amounts. NO it's always those right at the top- often in meaningless positiosn who get insane pay. Oh and dont foget our 800 quangos- often with no real role- EG National consumer agency: this was set up with a voluntary board but when celia larking joined, suddently they started gettign expenses - oh and a PR agency run by ex ff men started gettting €100,00's of PR work from them....
Actully i was trawling about to get a good look at a site i recently discovered :
www.soldiersofdestiny.org:
just as i thought, it gave a real run down on the many scandals these Fun Loving Criminals have given the nation, and is dedicated in a humourous way to their removal- quite right too, no other nation allows knock about clowns/circus acts/ criminals such leeway.
Worryingly I also found a SPOOF SITE, which portrays the same well known circus act'Soldiers of Devastation' as serious politicians. Yes, I couldn't believe it either! Check this out:
"Fianna Fáil represents the mainstream of Irish life. It is the only party which on several occasions has commanded overall majorities in Dáil Éireann. Since its foundation Fianna Fáil has been the single most coherent force in Irish politics, so much so indeed that alternative governments have been characterised by their opposition to Fianna Fáil as their only common bond. Electorally Fianna Fáil is second only to the Social Democrats in Sweden in its length of tenure in office.
Fianna Fáil adheres to the great democratic principle of government of the people, by the people and for the people. The party's name incorporates the words ‘The Republican Party' in its title. Republican here stands both for the unity of the island and a commitment to the historic principles of European republican philosophy, namely liberty, equality and fraternity.Fianna Fáil has always had a ‘can do' attitude. The Party has always been positive and never defeatist in its thinking. Fianna Fáil aims to unite all in a common identity of self-confident Irish men and women in a dynamic, vibrant, prosperous nation".
Beware of SPOOF site www.fiannafail.ie
And get on www.checktheregister.ie; make sure you're registered to get these mad clowns out- all political wessites i've been on recently have been beefed up- flashing signs looking for donations or new members, as expected bye elections could be in march- and could precipitate an early general election. Even if you never got registered/ voted do it now; don't you want to see this circus leaving town??
Good evening GM. Oh yes where else would you get it? Goes to show, if you got the nation wrapped up you can charge what you want. Faaannntasticccc....The Super Massive Blackhole which is Ireland?!
GDAY MR GM glad you enjoyed your hols, you must remember those making more money than MR OBAMA are oirih and he is not despite his outrageos claim that he is from offaly do you see people that look like OBAMA in birr no no you wil see people that look like brian clowen aka biffo or mary harney solid hansome ayran types people you could trust with your wallet when its empty,my sources tel me that FF has a new plan to bring in some money for irl, all FF marys are to compete in a kick boxing contest followed by a mud wrestling bout this will be an elimination process the last mary standing will go on to a final showdown against ANGEL MERKEL followed by a beauty contest this will generate huge sums of money and fame for our little island paradise as mary harney is expected to take all contests hands down then of course there will be centre fold and pin up engagments etc for our favourite mary, this will show mr bondmarket that we have extreme talent and moxy WHAT a great little nation CHEERIO- BH
In fairness one has to remember the cost of living in Ireland is so much higher !
@ Anna. Yes, we can moan all we like but it will do no good unless we vote the Soldiers of Dysentry out of power.
Here's a clickable link for that. Make sure you're registered to vote FF out!
@ Dakota. The very place!
@ BH. That wrestling thing is an image I will never be able to expunge from my mind. And sure that Obama fella isn't a patch on true Offalonians. Trying to cling on to Brian C's coat tails to furhter his career. The cheek!!!
@ True Anon. I'm off into my boss first thing in the morning ;-)
I read in the paper today that Govt has finally announced 3 bye elections will be held before April 2011: the results of these could precipitate a general election- probably by mid 2011;yes get registered to vote, they will carry on registering people even up to a few weeks before n elction, but apply early just to be sure, use your vote . it's' the least we can do : Dammit if this was France, the Dail would be a pile of smouldering ashes long ago...
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