Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the officials appearing here today. I hope to cover three areas. The issue of the accountability of public representatives has been there for some time, particularly in respect of our pay. Increasingly the public is demanding that same level of accountability particularly for senior civil and public servants. There has been some correspondence between us and the Department committee regarding the remuneration packages for Secretaries General. This may have been covered in the opening questioning from Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Some politicians in this House have suggested that they take a reduction and that has turned out not to be true. Having accountability in respect of people who suggest they are taking a reduction in their salary is actually quite important because they are clearly trying to court positive public opinion in suggesting they might take a reduction, but we need to know that the reduction has actually taken place.

That goes to the heart of our request for the remuneration packages for particular public servants. It is not that anybody has a navel-gazing obsession with people's salaries. It is about the accountability of ensuring something is done if was said was it done. I am not clear whether Mr. Moloney's predecessor took the reduction in his new role that was suggested. I may be wrong in the information provided, but my understanding in respect of that appointment is that we have a salary range but it is not clear what the exact salary details are. I ask Mr. Moloney to talk to us about that. If somebody says there was a reduction there should be an accountability structure for that.