Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The figure Mr. Purcell gave for the increase in committals since 2008 is staggering. The task is considerable. The expectation is that the anomalies within the pay system will be ironed out so that the public understands what is being paid for and the service staff are not undermined by the perception that they are getting money for old rope. Although this is important, the broader reform tag is a world away from anything as banal as the payment of allowances. One wants a result for the taxpayer at many levels, including value for money, rehabilitation of serial offenders, and so forth. The people running the service know this better than anyone else.