John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It seems to me there is an element of fiscal political correctness creeping into the debate around these issues. It is important to bear in mind that we arrived here artificially. In other countries, they look at the issue pragmatically. It happens all the time that consideration is given to the fact that where a large salary is given, the individual in receipt of it should have the ability to save money for an organisation in the long run. What has happened here to a certain extent is that we have arrived at this situation because the HSE was forced into it and because this committee did its job. The sector was not being policed properly by the HSE. There is a danger now, however, that organisations in the health sector generally may lose out because good people with the right skills will not be interested in taking up positions at the level of pay that is presented to them. I hear it again and again at this committee, not just in regard to the health sector but also, for instance, in the case of NAMA, that organisations are finding they cannot hire or retain staff. There is a politically correct attitude out there that nobody should be paid over a certain amount and if a person is earning €100,000, he or she might be a bad person or have questions to answer. It is a narrow view. I understand exceptions can be made within public policy, but I do not see that happening.