Mr. Martin Fraser:

While it is his own business, I should point out that as everyone is aware, the person who got the job did not take the pay increase in the end. I know the Deputy knows that but in terms of public trust, in fairness to him as a civil servant, that is a decision he made voluntarily. Ideally, if the issue is there is a question about whether the remuneration package for the senior civil or public servants is not getting the candidates we need, all we can do is have a transparent conversation about that. The Top-Level Appointments Committee publishes a report every year, I think its latest report will be published in the next couple of weeks, and it goes through the process and its findings. I am a member of it, so I know the debate. It occasionally makes glancing remarks about the type of people who apply or how people feel about the job or whether remuneration is an issue or if there are other reasons that people do not apply, all of that debate. I think it would be much better if there was a transparent process where there was a full assessment of the labour market, the candidates and the processes and to see whether we have issues.

There may be remuneration issues, and I believe there are in a very limited number of cases. People may feel that jobs are too challenging or easy. I do not know, but some of these jobs are difficult enough. If someone examined this matter independently, we would all be in a much better place. That examination should be laid before the Dáil and debated and there should be a proper conversation about it. I would much rather it if we did not need to have a conversation like this and if we did not have problems getting good people in certain areas, but we have had those problems. Be it requested by the Government, the Oireachtas or both, there should be a professional and independent analysis of this matter and that analysis should be debated in the Parliament and the Government. Everyone would then know where we were coming from. That is what we should do.