Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I refer the Deputy to my previous reply of 1 February 2005. In the first public service pay agreement under Sustaining Progress, the parties agreed that the benchmarking process was the appropriate way to determine public service pay rates. They committed themselves to engage in consultation on the terms of reference, modus operandi, establishment and timescale of a further benchmarking exercise.

In the pay agreement reached in June 2004 under the mid-term review of Sustaining Progress the parties agreed that the benchmarking body will commence its next review in the second half of 2005, to report in the second half of 2007. Under the agreement the parties agreed to review the operation of the first benchmarking exercise and consider ways in which, based on experience gained in the last exercise, the process can be improved and streamlined. It was also decided that the membership of the benchmarking body and its terms of reference will be agreed between the two parties not later than July 2005. Membership of the benchmarking body has not yet been decided and will be the subject of consideration and consultation by the parties over the coming months.

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