Seanad earnings

Madam, – Mark Mulqueen states a Seanad member “earns €65,621 per annum

Madam, – Mark Mulqueen states a Seanad member “earns €65,621 per annum.” Could it be he means “receives”? Yours, etc,

HARRY BOND,

Killurin, Co Wexford.

Madam, – Mark Mulqueen (February 8th) states the earnings for a member of the Seanad are €65,621 per annum. How then was Ivor Callely awarded €17,000 for loss of earnings for his 20-day absence? I don’t work in the civil service so I have to use real mathematics, not Irish Civil Service Quantum Mathematics (ICSQM) where 2+2 can equal pretty much any number that you might need it to. €17,000 divided by 20 equals €850 per day. Perhaps the different results deriving from the use of ICSQM are the reason why we had to get the IMF and EU in to explain how mathematics works in the real world. – Yours, etc,

CIAN CROSSEN,

Balnagowan, Dartry, Dublin 6.