Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We got the information from other Departments when they came before the committee and it was helpful to see them and to compare how they stacked up in terms of core pay and the percentage paid in allowances. When one can add allowances to core pay one gets a better understanding of what the allowance was in terms of what the person in receipt of it was getting elsewhere in terms of pay. It puts the situation in context.