AIB appointment

Madam, – Surely the question is how a failed bank in such a precarious financial position can afford to pay its managing director…

Madam, – Surely the question is how a failed bank in such a precarious financial position can afford to pay its managing director-designate €500,000 a year? Have the board of AIB conveniently forgotten that, but for the State guarantee of €400 billion and its capital injection, the bank would be bust? – Yours, etc,

CHARLES SMYTH,

Kells,

Co Meath.

Madam, – Enough of AIB crassness. Some years ago it was the Insurance Corporation of Ireland. Now this. Nationalise the banks now and then break them up to serve local communities. – Yours, etc,

K NOLAN,

Caldragh,

Carrick-on-Shannon,

Co Leitrim.

Madam, – It is high time the banks realised that the ability and performance of their executives have nothing to do with the salaries they are paid.

We have seen, to our cost as abused taxpayers, that inflated pay gave us hindsight, not foresight; gave us recklessness, not the application of sound banking principles; and greed, not social responsibility. Ability and performance depend on talent and commitment, not the size of a pay packet. – Yours, etc,

MYLES KELLEHER,

Forest Road,

Swords, Co Dublin.