Sir - While Kevin Rafter's recent article on TDs' remuneration was interesting in a voyeuristic sense insofar as it related to some TDs' other financial interests, it fails to deal with the core issue of the remuneration that we the taxpayers pay to our public representatives.
It is accepted in the modern business environment that chief executives of medium-sized or large companies make decisions that affect thousands of people. Accordingly, they are given a large basic salary and further incentives by way of an annual bonus and/or share options.
A TD, backbench or otherwise, has an ability to influence and change many people's lives through involvement in policy formulation. Yet we do very little to attract the right calibre of people into politics.
How often do we complain about the lack of drive and dynamism shown by some politicians? If we were paying TDs a remuneration package comparable with the private sector, then perhaps we as the electorate would become more discerning in how we apply our vote. - Yours, etc.,
Donall Curtin, Charleville Close, Dublin 6.