Sir, – It was interesting to read that Leo Varadkar sought a salary and benefits package for his special adviser of €135,000, which was over and above the recommended €92,672 cap (Front page, January 28th).
It was also instructive to read the comments of Nobel laureate Prof Joseph Stiglitz (Weekend Review, January 28th), regarding the dubious efficacy of the Government’s austerity programme, which concluded with the rhetorical question “why should taxpayers have to give up health and education to make good on a private bank?” Perhaps the Government might consider paying Prof Stiglitz somewhere in the region of €100,000 for the benefit of his advice? – Yours, etc,