Mr. Andy Pike:

We gave evidence before this same committee in 2019 as did the then Department of Education and Skills. At that time, it put forward a figure to the committee that the cost of regularising school secretaries and caretakers within the public service and providing the pension would be between €30 million to €35 million and that was including retrospection. That was its figure in 2019. It has not produced any costings thus far. It has just said it is not even allowed to discuss it.