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

However, he is appearing before the committee seeking an additional €25 million, specifically for the purpose of pensions.

My reaction to that is that I would not support those additional moneys, unless and until the Government is prepared to address the issue of all pensions above the €60,000 bracket and those at €100,000 and more. I have had this debate with the Minister, Deputy Howlin, but get the same ongoing echo from him. He has told us all about the constitutional dilemma, property rights and so on and so forth, but the institution of levies has been established within the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, framework. In talking about equity and dealing with citizens and workers in an equitable fashion, the Department and the State system must have an eye to the general budgetary position. We are insolvent and in the doldrums. Next week, the Department will introduce a package of €3.5 billion in cuts and additional charges. The time for excuses with regard to not dealing with the wildly excessive pensions has run out and it appears we will not have a meeting of minds on it.

I have one additional question. Some 16 serving Secretaries General still enjoy top level appointment committee, TLAC, terms. Why have those terms not been abolished? We all accept that Secretaries General are vastly overpaid. Payment at €200,000 is indefensible and the additional bells and whistles of additional years and special payments is an obscenity. Some of these 16 Secretaries General were appointed on the watch of the new Government and still enjoy these terms. Why has the Department not dealt with this yet and when does it intend to grasp that nettle?