Mr. Ciarán Lawler:

Again, the Commission on Pensions has endorsed the idea of an oversight body. The advantage to such a body is that it would do the calculation and work out what the benchmark or price increase would result in for the following year. It can also take other factors into account, such as the effectiveness of the benchmark to date, the impact on poverty and any particular economic circumstances that mean we should do something this year, and then make a recommendation to the Government. It would be along the lines of the Low Pay Commission approach. It removes the question a distance from the annual, political approach to the increase that we have at the moment. It would do the calculation and make a recommendation to the Government. If it was departing from the answer, it would give the reasons or the rationale for that.