Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the points Dr. Brady made earlier concerned the challenge of attracting and retaining staff of international calibre owing to current pay levels. In preparing for this meeting I looked at a report by the HEA that was part of its correspondence to the committee in November 2010. It was in response to our request for help in understanding the comparative levels of pay between professors across countries. The following information was provided in that report. In Ireland the starting point on the salary scale for university professors was €113,000, rising to €145,000, depending on levels of performance. In the United Kingdom the starting salary was €67,000, rising to €124,000. In the United States the starting salary was €79,000 but it rose considerably. The information contained in the document appears to contradict the point Dr. Brady makes on the underpayment of academics and the ability to attract and retain them in Ireland.