Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will make one further observation. We had this exact same debate during one of the last items of legislation the Minister, Deputy Howlin, brought through. I recommend that principal officers across the public sector should be in category A. Oireachtas Members are on principal officer level salaries. Public officials on the same salary scale as Oireachtas Members should be in the same category. We have pointed out that, when it comes to negotiations on issues in a Department, public bodies or at director of services level in the local authorities, sometimes a manager can be a little hands off and leaves it to his couple of directors and sometimes directors have phenomenal powers and influence, which is more than any Member of the Oireachtas who is not a Minister. People at that salary grade of principal officer should be included in category A. I know we did not bring it in - Mr. Beausang might help me on this point - on the last occasion. I forget which one, there are so many.