Tom Shehan (Fine Gael)

I agree with much of what my colleague, Senator Jim Walsh, said in regard to pay structures. There are chief executive officers of semi-State companies, many of whom are merely running a cog in the wheel of the semi-State sector, in receipt of €500,000 or more per year. The Taoiseach - the person responsible for the running of the country - is paid only half or even one third of what some of these people receive. Has an analysis ever been done of how much Ministers and Ministers of State are costing the State? The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, must have done 120 hours in the last week. I saw him last night on Vincent Browne's programme and he looked ready to fall asleep.