Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is based on advice I get from my officials where we look at the funding made available to ELS in the previous year. Then there is our expectation and analysis regarding how this has changed. The main components we would look at in this context are where we are with demographics and what the demand for services will be. The key items we would look at for several of our larger Departments include where we are with population and any changes that have occurred in this regard. This would not just be the size of the population but also where we are with regard to demography.

We would then look at any new policy decisions that have been made either during the year or in the previous year and if there is a full-year cost for those. We would also then look at where we are with public pay, recruitment and overall pay policy.