Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I do not think there are currently any plans to ask for intervention. However, I take the opportunity to say that I understand both the position of the company and of the union. The company put its case through the conciliation process and the Labour Court and received an adjudication. That said, I have listened to some senior bus workers who said they had particular understandings of how these routes would work and that the arrangements are not in line with these understandings. It is true that the Labour Court considered these understandings and rejected them, but that does not solve the dispute or improve the situation for the travelling public. While these matters are not binding, and the company can argue its position, both sides should look for creative solutions, as in any dispute. I urge both parties to use the highly effective industrial relations machinery that exists to try to find the basis of an agreement. I am not saying this will be easy, because the dispute has been going on for quite a long time, but I ask them to consider this.

On the matter of pay increases, I am not looking for any comparators as that is not the Government's job. It is seven years since a report such as this was issued by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector. Of the 2,000 people covered in this report, politicians and office holders account for 20 or 30. In money terms, it is a very small percentage of the total. The review body has conducted a pay review after a seven-year gap — the previous review was in the summer of 2000 — and I note the report states that we should return to a four-year period between reviews.

The Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector was established way back in 1969, a year when there was much industrial unrest in one form or another. It is an independent entity. It has the primary function of advising the Government on these matters. The body's most recent report covered the Civil Service, local authorities, health boards, non-commercial State bodies, An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, hospital consultants, the Judiciary and the political officeholders. As the Deputy will be aware, the group did not base politicians on anyone — either those in the commercial semi-State bodies or, for that matter, industry. If one looks across private sector industry, people who would be considered to be in high management jobs, most of those at the top end — this is the point of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions — earn in excess of €1 million. Thankfully, the group members did not recommend such increases.

They looked at what they believed was a comparator, taking into account the 15% for pension provision. They looked at those rates, which are far less than what would be occurring in the private sector. If one looks at the range in the 30 or so companies in the private sector that are normally listed, there is no comparison between the review body's recommendations and those areas. I am not arguing for a second that there should be. The review covers a seven year period, five years extended by two. Some people said that this should cover the four year period until the next review. That would not have made much difference, one way or the other. It came to under 3% a year across the system. While the total amount is high, and my own increase of €38,000 is considered high, it was done on a basis that was independent and has been followed for 38 years.

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