Ms Paula Lyons:

When an overpayment is identified, when the value is confirmed the first step is for the shared service to contact the local HR of the individual to establish if it is in order to proceed with recoupment of the overpayment because there could be circumstances that would say that that should be put on hold, including, perhaps, critical illness at that point in time. Assuming that the local HR agrees that the recoupment should proceed, there is then a notification process to the individual. There are two letters that issue to the individual in that regard which provide an opportunity for the person, I suppose, if he or she has a query on the amount or a question around the speed or otherwise of the recovery plan, to engage with shared services. It does afford that opportunity for engagement by the individual to agree the recoupment plan. Our policy is for 8% of gross pay to be recouped within a 12 month period at the outset. Most of our overpayments fall within a band of €1,000 or less. I suppose the incidence of dispute within individual cases probably is relatively low but it could happen.