Why is Brian Cowan the 4th highest paid Taoiseach (or equivalent) in the World?

and as for that lieing pr|ck Gormley on thew news now [>o]

hes some operator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5QwKEwo4Bc

Cowen is gonna be on @ 7.

satellite flight , i'm starting to worry about you , gone  political all of a sudden .

[;)]

Irish people are generally thick

pound for pound hes on less than Obama

This is a question for gantoo7 and the other FF hardliners on here. They can't keep on being so blinkered.

How do you see the Taxes going in the budget ?

low tax bracket 22 to 25 ?

higher taxes from 42% to 48% ?

There is definitely room for them to increase taxes but they need to reduce the cost of living at the same time, start by reductions in VAT and cost of state services. The property tax is an interesting one 'local service charge'. Again I think it would be ok as long as it is going to something constructive. Some of the wage structures in the county councils are really shocking and would be disgusting if property taxes were going towards maintaining excessive wage structures.

Vasco08 - Every analysis done on local government in Ireland has shown the need for some charge to replace domestic rates. Local Authorities at the moment can't plan the provision of services properly as they are relying on the annual and varying funding from the central exchequer. If your dig at 'county council wages structures' is aimed at County and City Manager level, I have no difficulty with that but the vast majority of staff are not paid excessive amounts.

It is thought likely that the Taoiseach Brian Cowen will name a March date for a General Election, to allow time for the legislative framework for Budget 2011 to pass into law.

Speaking tonight after an emergency meeting of Fianna Fáil ministers sparked by the Green Party's call for a General Election to be called in the new year, the Taoiseach said the country's future depended on Budget 2011's being passed.

He said there was a "clear duty on all members of Dáil Eireann" to facilitate the passing of the Budget on December 7 and added that the on-going EU/IMF negotiations with the Government depended on the budgetary measures coming into effect.

Mr Cowen was speaking for the first time since the Green Party effectively pulled the plug on the coalition by calling for an election in January.

It is likely the Finance Bill will not be completed until sometime in February, signalling an election in March.

Mr Cowen also effectively told disgruntled backbenchers, who spoke out agaisnt him yesterday and today, that there were procedures in the party to deal with the issue of leadership.

"This country's interests go well beyond any personal considerations of me as Taoiseach, or anyone else in the party, or anyone else in any other party…We have got to get this Budget passed," he said.

without the incentive of the big salary, maybe Mr Cowen could have been lost to us and taken on a major position in a private sector company

How else could he afford the pints late at night in the hotel bar ffs. A nation of begrudgers.