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EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you should know with your morning coffee…
1.#NORTH AND SOUTH: Taoiseach Enda Kenny will chair a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council at Farmleigh House today during which banking reform, the ongoing eurozone crisis, and other economic issues will be discussed. The Northern delegation is being led by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
2. #CHILD ABUSE: Speaking yesterday at the International Eucharistic Congress, Primate of All-Ireland Cardinal Seán Brady expressed “deep shame” in an apology to victims of clerical child abuse on behalf of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
However, Brady stopped short of offering a specific apology for his own controversial role in the investigation of abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth.
3. #JOBSWATCH: The parent firm of electricity supplier Airtricity is to invest almost half a billion euro in purchasing several power stations in Ireland. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is due to make what a statement described as a “major” jobs announcement in connection with the news this afternoon.
4.#SYMPHYSIOTOMY: The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has offered “unreserved sympathy” to women who have suffered after undergoing the controversial procedure symphysiotomy, reports the Irish Times. Survivors of symphysiotomy – a surgical procedure used to widen the pelvis for childbirth – gave powerful first-hand testimony at an Oireachtas committee meeting yesterday, explaining the life-long chronic pain and other medical problems they suffered as a result of the operation.
5. #WEATHER: It may be June – and technically summer – but it’s still a very good idea to bring an umbrella along today, as we’re in for more wind, rain, and possible flooding. This satellite image from Met Éireann shows why we won’t be seeing the sun for a while.
6. #GREECE: The final day of campaigning ahead of Sunday’s crucial parliamentary elections is taking place in Greece today. This weekend’s vote, the second in one month, is being closely observed internationally amid fears the results could spark a deepening of the eurozone crisis – or even the country’s exit from the euro.
7. #JAPAN: The final fugitive suspect linked to a deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo underground has been arrested by police in Japan, AFP reports. Katsuya Takahashi is suspected of being involved in a doomsday cult that killed 13 people and injured 6,000 others in 1995.
8. #EGYPT: Demonstrators have gathered in Egypt’s Tahrir Square today after the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that last year’s parliamentary elections were not valid. The Muslim Brotherhood has warned of “dangerous” days ahead, reports the BBC.
9. #GAME OF THRONES: Both HBO and the creators of the hit TV show Game of Thrones have apologised for using a prosthetic head in the likeness of George W Bush as a prop in a beheading scene during filming, the Washington Post reports.
“George Bush’s head appears in a couple of beheading scenes. It’s not a choice, it’s not a political statement. We just had to use whatever heads we had lying around…” said creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
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He won’t be sacking them he just won’t be renewing their contracts next year. Happens every day in business.
Go Leo go. About time someone took on these fat cats. These guys are on way too much money, where do they think they are working? It is obscene that public money is thrown around like this. The ref on judges pay should be extended to include the semi states.
Got to agree way to go Leo. Take them on and see if they back down so as not to loose their plush gravy train seat. You’d think collier would have taken a voluntary cut or something.
This guy is probably on a salary in the region of €200k a year, if not more
To expect a bonus payment of €106k a year in addition to that kind of salary is obscene in my opinion
That is the equivalent of 10 years dole payments for some people or more than 3 years salary for a person on a nice average wage of €30k a year
Yes, the DAA made a profit last year, but they did it at the expense of Shannon and Cork who also fall under their control that should not be forgotten!
I would not normally be a supporter of Leo Varadker but he is 100% right on this one
A 16k bonus would be reasonable and I could possible live with that
A one hundred and six thousand euro bonus?
No way Jose!!!!!!!!
Guinness. They are fair points about the dedication needed to make it to the top of any profession. And yes you should be rewarded if you make it there. However 608k for any individual working from the public purse is obscene at any time and especially in the current climate. The previous government were the ones who presided over this greed. Lack of fairness in society is what is causing division and ‘begrudgery’. €12,000 per week for running the airports without any competition.! Come on.
These semi state personel are making obscene money as it is without making obscene work related bonus’s… I am ex military and more to the fact ex EOD… Do you think I got a bonus every time we made a viable IED safe, No and Guinness , please don’t come back with the contract crap.. These guys were getting bonus’s when the semi states were losing money
He did not get any performance related bonus when they were loosing money, you are quite wrong there.
Dave, you need to understand the difference between you doing a job as part of the rank and file and the CEO of an organisation. You carry out your work in line with the way you were trained to do. The CEO creates direction, stratgy and policy and is responsible for overall performance.
f your job did have a performance related bonus to it, would you like to be paid it if you performed? I know I would.
612,500 per year
51,041 per month
11,778 per week
1,678 per day
It’s over 2,700 per working day…
Who does Varadkar think he is? A new low in Irish politics when a minister threatens to sack directors if they give a man something that he is entitled to under the terms of his contract.
What a bully.
His contract was negotiated before we had to go with a begging bowl to IMF. We are bust, should we still pay the bonus?
most of them are their because they are FF CRONIES HOW CAN YOU GET BONUSES FOR LESS RETURN WAS THIS NOT THE PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY WERE NOT PUT IN THEIR JOB,S ON MERIT IN THE FIRST PLACE IT WAS WHO YOU KNOW AND NOT WHAT YOU KNOW
Yes drastic measures HAVE TO BE DONE! in these times bonuses just like that 106k? Who do these CEOs think they are while others really have problem!!! Go Leo go!!!! NOW! AND EVERYWHERE!!!
Spare me the semantics, a threat is a threat whichever way you look at it. They are being threatened with the sack if they do what is right.
“when a minister threatens to sack directors if they give a man something that he is entitled to under the terms of his contract”
So you’re fussy about contracts. Do the directors have a clause in their “contracts” that says those contracts must be renewed? Or is it entirely a matter of choice?
define wot u mean by “right”? morally right? ethically right? if varadkar paid d bonuses u’d be giving out about dat den and how fat cats keep getting d pay.
Guineas Follower, you need to read up about money, motivation and doing quality work… Here’s a link to start you on your learning path… http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
Enjoy.
Karl, why would I want to do that?
Strange.
You might learn that your suggestion that you must pay a “top dollar” to get good people is rubbish…
They made a profit last year so yes, they should pay the man his bonus out of the profits.
If there was no profit, there would be no bonus and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Varadkar is meerly playing to the crowd with this bullshit talk of sacking the board. If I was Collier and a stunt like this was being pulled on me I would bring the DOT to court for breach of contract.
As said before, we need the best in these positions if they are to be ran in our best interests. Paying them below market rates only results in bad CEO’s which results in poor performance and costs us either way.
Oh I forgot, market rates. Can’t get anyone to do anything without “market rates”.
My foot.
We are talkin about the airports here. Everybody who flys in or out has no choice but to pay the landing fees. It’s included in those taxes and charges added onto your ticket price. Let’s not get carried away with the whole free market argument. It has been shown to only exist for the little people. Do you not realise how these payouts look to the ordinary citizen struggling in the mire that has become the economy. The appearance of fat cats needs to be cut in the interest of fairness. Same with judges pay.
When my uncle took his job in the public service they said that after 40 years he’d be entitled to a pension of x percentage of his salary until death. That pension was cut by 400 euro per month last January. Was that a breach of contract? Do you recommend that he go to court too?
6. doesn’t surprise me. The Fianna Fáil way.
When did Mary White go from the Green party and become a Fianna Fail party member!!!
“White told the security officer who had asked her to leave that he was “lucky to have a job” and “lucky to be getting paid”. The Fianna Fáíl senator has denied she said those things.”
A different Mary White – http://www.senatormarywhite.ie/
opps thanks for that :)
Market Rates are important. If you will only pay €250k to a CEO then the best will migrate to the private sector leaving behind the Division 2 CEO’s to look after the assets belonging to you, a citizen of Ireland.
If thats what you really want then fine, I accept your point of view. However, from my perspective, I want the best.
“the best” – like the ceo’s of the banks?
“If you will only pay €250k to a CEO”.
Only? Who are you kidding?
Robert, again with respect, if I was the CEO of a semi state I wouldn’t care what the common man on the street felt about my pay. Did the common man on the street care about him as he educated himself through college, made sacrifices going through an MBA, worked 60 hours per week to work his way up the corporate ladder and made tough and stressful decisions on his way to the top? Of course not, its the Irish common man we’re talking about here. Biggest shower of bregrudgers in the world who wants to be spoon fed with everything and hates to see anyone do well for themselves.
SORRY FRIEND IT WAS THE COMMON MAN WHO,S TAX,S PAID FOR THAT EDUCATION YOU FULL OF TO MUCH OF THAT GUINNESS
Thanks Benny but I think that you’ll find that your comment has absolutley nothing to do with the thread of comments so far.
Here, have a carrot.
€106,000 is neither here nor there. It’s a drop in the ocean. Varadkar is just making an issue out of it to be seen to be doing something.
The banks were not semi-states Paul and the banks are a different case in point where corporate greed caused them to fail. Your point is not relevant to this debate.
Greed is relevant to this debate. Whether it’s corporate or personal. MBAs are ten a penny and the vast majority of us make “tough and stressful decisions” every day of our lives. The country has just been “spoon fed” a bailout that the majority of us didn’t want. And “spoon fed” vicious cuts that are unjust and unreasonable. You’re in the wrong place to be talking about “bregrudgers”.
Clan, with the greatest of respect, if you read what Varadkar said you will appreciate that he has signalled in advance that ‘he will not renew their contracts’ if the bonus is paid.
Also, if what your saying is correct then it makes Mr Varadkars comments even more hollow.
He will not renew their contracts if the bonus is paid? You’ve lost me. I could have sworn I read, “he will not reappoint several directors of board next year unless the CEO forgoes bonus payments.”
A contract is a legally binding document, therefore unless the government changes the statutory instruments or laws associated with employees rights, there is nothing that can be done about this!!
Morally it may be wrong but contractually it is correct, it just goes to show the state of our nation!!
Public Sector employees (those in the job pre 1995) had their terms & conditions & pay changed despite their contracts
What’s the difference here?
Clan, again with respect, the most stressful decision you would make would not be on a par with those of a CEO. Also, MBA’s are indeed ten a penny but there are a small portion of MBA grads who go on to become CEO’s. This man is one of them and should not be on trial in the media by Varadkar. Why couldn’t this have all been handled behind closed doors? Of course, Leo wouldn’t have scored points with the public if he did that.
When someone keeps trotting out “with respect” they rarely – if ever – mean a word of it. (As the rest of your comments show.) You clearly only respect people with money. Great value system you have. (I’m sitting here imagining you arse-licking CEOs on your way to the “top” … but the top of *what* I’m not sure …) As for, “the most stressful decision you would make would not be on a par with those of a CEO”, don’t attempt to lecture people when you have no idea what they do for a living.
“MBA’s are indeed ten a penny but there are a small portion of MBA grads who go on to become CEO’s”
Sure. And sometimes when the system is working, some of them end up in jail for corruption. You have the most extraordinary notions about who matters in society and who doesn’t.
Guinness follower, you’re a donkey ! The country is in this mess because of FF putting their buddies in jobs with high pay for doing nothing anyhow. Leo & FG/L are left cleaning up the shit after the mess.
Clan, by phrasing my reply ‘with respect’, I do so out of good manners, that’s all. I respect your opinion and I enjoy listening to your point of view.
Fair enough.
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