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

The new figure of €522 million we are seeking consists of three elements, namely, the sum of €485 million the Department has spent to date, a sum of €32 million for the two remaining months of the year and an additional €5 million for lump sum payments. The Estimate of slightly more than €500 million is being superseded by the Supplementary Estimate of €522 million. Expenditure under subhead A4 proved difficult to predict because the lump sum of 1.5 times salary refers to the exit point at which staff leave the Civil Service and is, therefore, heavily dependent on their position. A lump sum for a principal officer is much more than for a clerical officer. Moreover, lumps sums must be paid immediately.