There was further controversy about the Taoiseach's salary increase yesterday with one of his leading backbenchers defending the €38,000 a year pay rise while Fine Gael again attacked the phased increase.
Martin Mansergh, the South Tipperary TD and former adviser to the Taoiseach, pointed out that up to 13,000 Irish citizens would be better paid than Mr Ahern when his full increase comes into effect in 2009.
Citing a reply by the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, to a recent Dáil question, Mr Mansergh said that up to 13,000 Irish citizens would be better paid in 2009 than the Taoiseach and other political office-holders.
"They include, of course, a number of persons working at senior levels in the media, business people, professionals, and some higher-paid GPs. A vast majority, though not all, would be in more secure employment.
"Either a lot of the most successful people are overpaid, or it must be accepted in the context of this society that the Taoiseach's salary is commensurate with his responsibilities, which ultimately are greater than anyone else's," said Mr Mansergh.
Fine Gael Senator Eugene Regan said he was astonished that any Fianna Fáil TD would attempt to defend a €38,000 pay hike for "an underperforming Taoiseach in an underperforming Government".
Senator Regan added: "It may be telling, however, that the witness for the defence is not one of the 30 or so Fianna Fáil Ministers but a backbench TD who was a former close adviser to the Taoiseach.
"Rather than make a tortured comparison of the Taoiseach's pay with people in the private sector, why didn't Deputy Mansergh look at similar-sized western democracies or look at the idea of performance-related pay."
