According to figures released to the Dail last month by finance minister Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern's salary has soared from 112,159 when he first took office on 1 January, 1997, to 266,492 on 1 December, 2006 . . . a cumulative increase of almost 138% over 10 years.

Similarly, the Tanaiste's salary has risen from 95,947 to 228,924 in the same period, representing an increase of over 138%. But Michael McDowell has only enjoyed this boost in salary for a few months, while his predecessor, Mary Harney, took a pay cut of almost 20,000 a year when she opted to step down as PD leader and consequently as Tanaiste.

And while Brian Cowen and his predecessor Charlie McCreevy have consistently called for pay restraint from Irish workers for fear of derailing our high-speed economy, the minister himself and his colleagues have shown no such restraint. The average ministerial salary has risen from 89,461 in 1997 to 210,141 today. Again this is a cumulative increase of almost 135% over the last decade, which is well over three times the rate of inflation during the same period.

But rather than lecturing workers about the need for pay restraint, Cowen and his colleagues would have been better advised to follow the example of the average industrial worker who has accepted less than half the pay increases of politicians.

The average industrial wage has increased from 18,938 on 1 January, 1997 to 31,252 by September 2006 . . .

an increase of 65%. The figures also show that, 10 years ago, the Taoiseach was paid six times the average industrial wage. But today, that gap has widened to 8.5 times the wage of an average Irish worker.

The Taoiseach's ability to stay well ahead in the pay race is primarily down to the special pay rises Ahern and his ministerial colleagues received under the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, which awards extra pay increases every four years to the country's top public servants.

In the past 10 years, the Taoiseach has received increases of over 50% from these special pay awards, which are paid on top of the general pay increases under the various national pay agreements.

And the widening gap is set to stretch further this year, when Ahern and his colleagues can expect more 'special' pay increases from yet another review body report due in June.

TDs can also expect a further boost to their pay this summer when the eagerly awaited benchmarking body produces its pay report.

THE PAY GAP: WAGES OF POLITICIANS AND WORKERS
1997-2006 Job Jan
1997 Dec 2006 Increase Taoiseach /112,159 /266,492 137% Tanaiste /95,947 /228,924 139% Minister /89,461 /210,141 135% Minister of State /68,386 /144,396 111% TD (basic) /44,068 /93,493 112% Avge industrial wage /18,938 /31,252* 65% *LATEST FIGURES, SEPTEMBER 2006