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Ireland has some of the highest salaries in the world

Medical professionals and teachers in Ireland have top class pay packages

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, July 24, 2010, 8:00 AM

Updated Saturday, July 24, 2010, 8:15 AM

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A public information blitz has been launched in Ireland urging everyone to contact their doctor and receive the H1N1 vaccine

The salaries for Irish medical professionals are some of the highest in the world.

Photo by PA

An Irish government-sponsored report has revealed that Irish medical professional and teacher salaries are among some of the highest in the world. The report was focused on the costs of doing business in Ireland by the National Competitiveness Council.

Irish elementary school teachers are among the highest paid in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report also found that health specialists in Ireland, on average, earn $225,000.

The report cleared stated “Irish health specialists receive the highest average salary of the group for which data is available.”

Findings for the salaries for nurses are similar. Irish nurses earn more than their counterparts except for those in Luxembourg, Norway and Liechtenstein.

Doctors in Ireland earn four times as much as their counterparts in Greece and Portugal and twice as much as those in Germany, Finland and Norway.

The troubled Irish Health Service Executive spends most of its annual budget on these high salaries and less on medical supplies or equipment.

Elementary school teachers in Ireland are also paid 15 percent above the average of the 24 countries in the OECD. Teachers with 15 years experience or more are paid the second highest, second to Luxembourg.

Nster.com

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RenePal | Oct 05, 2010, 11:42 AM EDT

The Irish Prime Minister earns more than the German Chancellor. The Irish President earns as much as the President of the USA. Irish members of parliament are amongst the highest paid in the World. Heads of all the major semi-state companies earn unbelievable sums. The top 600 civil servants are excused from paying any levies, their minimum salary is €125,000 per year. This is more than the vast majority of citizens. The Banksters you know about. But they all agree that the minimum wage of €8.65 per hour is too high!!

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LilPaddy | Jul 25, 2010, 11:10 PM EDT

THE people(s) of the world have the Governments that they deserve.... But, did the people of Ireland deserve this??

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GeorgeDillon | Jul 25, 2010, 03:13 PM EDT

tmcgonagle: Obviously it's hard to make a definitive comparison, because of currency fluctuations, but the number you cite would be equivalent to well over 70k euro a year. I would say an Irish teacher would be getting that towards the end of their career (say 30 years) but they certainly would not reach it in 15 years. It's good that you have given us this figure. The Irish government (it's called the Fianna Fail party--extremely corrupt) is always looking for excuses to screw Irish people.

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tmcgonagle | Jul 25, 2010, 02:44 PM EDT

Teachers in Michigan can earn in excess of $90,000/ year with 15 years experience and a Masters degree. How does that compare?

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Mairin67 | Jul 25, 2010, 01:35 PM EDT

And....there are plenty of Irish who abuse the welfare system as well, not just the immigrants to Ireland. While abuse goes on everywhere, the welfare in Ireland is cushier at least when compared to the US.

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Mairin67 | Jul 25, 2010, 01:31 PM EDT

When I worked as a nurse in Ireland, it was about half what I would make in the US. Since then, the wages have increased a good bit although I don't really know what it currently is. I do find it odd, however, that my cousin who is a 'paramedic' in Ireland whose certification is equivalent to an EMT-B (basic) here in the US, gets paid similar to my RN earnings here in the US. Now that is scandalous.

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ciarrai | Jul 25, 2010, 11:24 AM EDT

When I first strode the Emerald Isle the pint of Guinness was 17p-24p (old money), a B B was 2.50 old punts and wasn't 60 punts a weeks a good wage?

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MeginColorado | Jul 25, 2010, 10:27 AM EDT

How do those salaries compare with the U.S.? Sounds like Ireland should purse the use of midlevel medical providers, such as physician assistants and nurse practioners. These could keep costs down some what. However, I must say, people in the medical profession earn every dollar they make.

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GeorgeDavis | Jul 24, 2010, 05:09 PM EDT

Ireland also has among the highest welfare payment rates in the world. Under normal circumstances I would say that's a very good thing, something to be proud of. However, it has been abused by countless foreign migrants, who find they enjoy a higher standard of living in Ireland on welfare than they would if working in their own countries--Latvia, Poland, Pakistan etc. I say deny welfare to all but Irish citizens, and see how long the others will hang around. They have no loyalty to Ireland--they're just interested in take take take.

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Mairin67 | Jul 24, 2010, 09:17 AM EDT

Just curious, was this before or after the recent pay decreases that teachers and healthcare workers (and other government workers) were forced to take this year?

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