{"id":7187,"date":"2019-05-02T07:15:45","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T11:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=7187"},"modified":"2019-05-04T09:16:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-04T13:16:53","slug":"taoiseach-defends-large-salaries-for-directly-elected-mayors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=7187","title":{"rendered":"Taoiseach Defends Large Salaries for Directly Elected Mayors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Government has defended the proposed salaries for new directly elected mayors.<\/p>\n

People in Cork, Limerick and Waterford will have the chance to vote to have those mayors later this month.<\/p>\n

They would be paid around \u20ac120,000 a year, roughly in line with the salary of a junior minister.<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar explained why that is the amount they decided on.<\/p>\n

Mr Varadkar said: “Nobody likes the idea of politicians being paid, certainly not being paid more, and I understand why that is but if this is a real job with real power and real influence then it should come with a salary that matches that.<\/p>\n

“That is why we decided to pitch it somewhere around the level of a Minister of State.”<\/p>\n

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