Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is the policy issue. Mr. Fraser mentioned that he would like if there was a process in place. That recommendation was made in 2017 or 2019. There was a recommendation from the pay commission which Mr. Fraser is a member of that a new mechanism be put in place for senior pay. The review body on higher remuneration in the public sector had been disbanded at the beginning of FEMPI. Would it not be more important to send a signal of transparency? Would it have been appropriate to seek to have the review body established and use that as a mechanism? Mr. Fraser talked about giving advice on why we need to hike the payment for this particular role but he also told us he was not giving his personal advice in respect of implementing a transparent review body on higher remuneration. Surely it would have been right and proper to put that body in place before making any radical or unusual decisions in respect of higher pay. That does not mean one cannot recruit somebody under the current process or that one might not want to recruit someone for more pay but that a mechanism should have been put in place to do that properly.