Ms Oonagh Buckley:

Without referring to how we would approach this debate with the unions, I can state the approach on previous occasions, as with State industrials, which comprise another group of public servants not covered today, was to consider pay banding. It is a very common experience, including in the private sector. One determines the normal roles and functions of a person and then puts him or her onto a particular pay band. Instead of saying that somebody who might occasionally drive a car or van for their work should get a particular allowance or half an allowance, one says that if an officer is on a particular pay band, driving a vehicle is a normal part of his or her work. Therefore, driving on a particular day reflects the pay band and it is part of the flexibility required in a normal working arrangement.

The description the Deputy read in the first column is a description of what the allowance was designed to cover when it was introduced or of how it has evolved over the years. That is no longer fit for a more modern and more flexible public service. We must move from that to a structure that aligns more closely with the normal flexibilities we require in employment.