Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I support the call by my colleague, Senator Healy Eames, for a discussion with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, on rural schools, DEIS schools and the loss of career guidance counsellor positions. The controversy that has erupted in regard to the salaries of senior academics is indicative of the need for the Government to examine the position of very highly paid people in this country, including the chief executive officers of semi-State companies. At a time when our country is on its knees, those salary levels should be benchmarked against European counterparts. In a context in which we are borrowing every cent we require for the day-to-day running of the country, we must examine whether those on the highest pay are making an adequate contribution to the austerity being imposed on everybody else.