I have held a number of high–profile positions, mainly abroad, but I have never, ever been paid a salary which is higher than that of my employer or superiors, even though on occasion my qualifications and experience exceeded by far those of my employer or superiors.

This is because the buck stops with them. They invest the money and take the decisions that keep me in lucrative employment.

So, I cannot understand how our prime minister or our ministers appoint a person (of trust) to a position that pays the person (of trust) a salary and perks that outstrip the salary and perks that they (the prime minister and the ministers) earn by multiples of three or four.

It baffles me, because nobody is that altruistic, unselfish, generous or magnanimous, especially if one takes into consideration the humbling and demeaning efforts that politicians make to get elected and re-elected by making themselves available at all times to the people.

That’s apart from the flak that politicians get from both the people who voted them in, if they fail to deliver on their promises, and the from ones that didn’t, who bad mouth them and pick apart and criticise whatever they do anyway.

The persons (of trust) get none of that. They go to their fancy offices, in their fancy monogrammed designer clothes, driven in their fancy chauffeured limousines, paid from our taxes, and rake in the money, secure in the knowledge that they will only be dislodged from their positions by a change of government.

Another thing that baffles me is how or why people, mainly professionals who earn tons of money from their professions, after years of study and sacrifice, give up their honourable professions to enter politics, professing with a straight face that can continue to contribute to society through politics.

A recent article in the Times relating to politicians’ declarations of assets commented that consultant surgeons for example, declare an annual income of around €400,000, give or take a few thousand euro.

Why would anyone whose line of work alleviates pain and suffering and saves lives, give up that noble profession and that income for a thankless job as a politician, paying a measly €55,000 a year plus perks? If I did that, my other half would have me committed! Something just doesn’t add up here.

And what about ministers who shower their friends, hangers-on and friends of friends with direct orders to the tune of hundreds of thousands of euro? I know it’s our money and not theirs that they’re throwing about with gay abandon, like a sailor in a whorehouse, but surely nobody goes through the trouble of making other people rich without getting a share of the lucre. That goes against human nature.

This is corruption by authority.