Madam, - Will the Taoiseach now show us his true leadership and put aside, for the moment, the very generous €38,000 increase to €310,000 a year that has been awarded by the "independent review body"? In addition, he should encourage his Ministers to follow suit.
Otherwise, he and his colleagues are giving the green light for others to seek increases for themselves. This will further fuel inflation and make us more uncompetitive internationally than we already are.
The Irish rate of inflation has been about twice the EU average for the past five years. This is what our leaders have overseen. Already we are seeing companies such as Intel seeking redundancies in Leixlip - very disturbing indeed.
There are none so blind as those who do not wish to see. - Yours, etc,
MIKE PARLE, Leixlip, Co Kildare.
Madam, - I would not begrudge the Taoiseach, his Ministers and all those civil servants their pay increases if they would kindly show their employers, the people of Ireland, that they can produce increases in their own productivity commensurate with the increased rewards they are taking. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL ANDERSON, Moyclare Close, Dublin 13.