Madam, – In reply to John Looby, (December 14th), I had not thought of “raising a glass” to David Begg in thanks for my €41.27 increase when benchmarking was first introduced in June 2002, however I may just take up the offer this Christmas. Whilst I am savouring one of Lidl’s finest wines I would suggest that Mr Looby reciprocates, by reading a copy of the Buckley report.
This analysis, published almost two years before benchmarking awarded pay rises of up to 33.3 per cent to the great and the good of Irish society including TDs, Senators, judges, directors of State and semi-state bodies and other such luminaries who are beyond reproach.
It is, however, far easier to cast blame on David Begg and the trad union movement, the middle-income public servant, with their “premium incomes intact”, the minimum waged who were the second highest in Europe, and the unemployed who could claim benefits that were twice the levels of their contemporaries in the UK for the present economic crisis.
I would suggest, however, that those responsible for the crash are within the covers of the Buckley Report. People that are not likely to be represented by David Begg. – Yours, etc,