Because they're worth it

Sir, – Conn Clissmann (September 28th) may have been writing slightly tongue-in-cheek when he quoted L’Oréal CEO Jean-Paul Agon…

Sir, – Conn Clissmann (September 28th) may have been writing slightly tongue-in-cheek when he quoted L’Oréal CEO Jean-Paul Agon on the difficulty in attracting top executive talent under high marginal tax rates, yet this is a real challenge facing job creation in Ireland.

Our employment landscape is changing more quickly than at any previous time and currently experiences an extreme skills demand/supply mismatch. In many cases, the jobs being created are around leading-edge science and technology and professional services – skills that are in demand globally.

In Ireland’s case, these skills often need to be imported. Attracting such executive talent to Ireland in the current tax regime is extremely difficult, never mind our ability to retain such talent. In a country where two people in a household earning €50,000 a year are now regarded as “top earners”, (I recognise they are fortunate to have jobs and salaries, but “top earners”?), Ireland has become an extremely unattractive place to live.

Somewhere along the line it has become unpopular to say it, but in the private sector, new jobs are created by the presence of entrepreneurs and business leaders. There is nothing left to squeeze here. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL O’LEARY,

Chief Executive,

HRM Recruit,

Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2.