Ms Geraldine Tallon:

I do not think somebody can get two or three allowance for doing the one job, but they might get different allowances for doing different jobs in succession. Does the Deputy know what I mean? I have been surprised to learn that there are so many local allowances in the local government sector. This is the first time an overall assessment and review of allowances has been carried out. I would not necessarily have been aware of the hundreds of allowances in different local authorities or the diversity and variety of allowances paid. It is fair to say there should be an exercise, which is part of the reason we have written to the local authorities to open discussions on allowances. The time is ripe for this to happen and the crisis is such that this is an exercise in which we need to engage to try to rationalise the system.