Sir, – Robert Watt, the secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, claims that pay increases for public service personnel in the Lansdowne Road agreement are in line with those awarded to private sector workers ("Civil Service boss defends entry-grade pay rates", April 6th).
Lansdowne Road delivers no real pay rises at all. Instead it is a very limited rollback on the successive pay cuts of Croke Park and Haddington Road. These cuts involved unilateral breaches of employment contracts made possible only by emergency legislation.
Mr Watt also claims public sector salaries are sufficient to attract new entrants. This criterion does not seem to be applied to the salaries of TDs and ministers.
Even our President, Michael D Higgins, himself a strong advocate of social justice, draws a salary of €250,000, plus board. Does Mr Watt think there would be no takers for presidential office at €80,000? – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Since when did it become acceptable for a senior civil servant to make pronouncements on politically controversial matters? – Yours, etc,
MEGAN BEWICK,
Waterford.