Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am just clarifying the point that some people make the charge that an enormous change has not occurred in the totality of expenditure. The point I am making is that in a three year period €2.5 billion has been taken out of the totality of public sector pay and pensions and, I hasten to add, there is another €1 billion to go but it is an example of the road that has been travelled. As the Deputy's point relates to those in receipt of pensions over of €100,000, I make the point that the greatest reduction in terms of people's pay levels has been at the top of the public sector, up to 35% in cases. If the argument is being put forward by the Deputy that those at the top have not made a contribution, it is not borne out by the statistics which show that those at very top have given a huge amount of their salary, rightly so, because they can afford it. The Government has not been exclusive in this regard. We have said to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, that we will look at any and every measure which could help to make further savings in this area and we are not ruling out options.