Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the first issue, that of the review body, I accept what Deputy Kenny said and I will not go back over it all again. For almost 40 years, the function of the body has been to advise the Government on the general levels of remuneration at the higher level so the Government, political officeholders, senior people in State bodies and agencies, local authorities, health boards, the Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Judiciary would be dealt with independently of their own system. In every one of the reports down through the years, the increases have been implemented, but on a phased basis. In this case, we have made a change in that regard in that nothing will be paid in the first year and the remainder will be phased over a three-year period. This, in effect, means that by the time the process comes to its conclusion, it will have covered a 12-year period. I do not believe that is an unreasonable position.

The review body's examination was based on the lowest quartile and took into account comparable grades in the private sector. I agree with its focus on the lowest grades because if one focused on the top grades in the private sector, far bigger increases would have been recommended. There would be very few people in this category in the private sector but greater numbers in the public sector and therefore the review body was totally right to use the lower quartile.

It is seven full years since the last report was produced. It was originally intended that the period should be four years. One sees what happens when a Government extends the period for another three years; the increases look bigger. The review should at least coincide with the benchmarking process for the time being because the longer the period between reviews, the greater the increases recommended. Both the private and public sector unions understand the system and the position and that the two are related so I do not regard this issue as presenting a difficulty.

On Aer Lingus, Deputy Kenny knows that at all our meetings, including those of the North-South bodies and east-west bodies, those who are fluent in the Irish language use it. Even those of us who are not are using the cúpla focal. It is totally accepted by all the parties in the North. Some people of the Unionist tradition pride themselves, in respect of their Scottish language and Irish, that they are well able to use their "cúpla focal" and I admire them for that. Recently at the launch of the Cumann Lúthchleas Gael function, Minister Poots made an effort to speak Irish that impressed everybody. Why Aer Lingus would believe it is necessary to drop Irish, I do not know. We were not informed and I do not believe it is any great hardship to anybody. In any of the meetings I have had, I heard nobody objecting to the effect that Irish should be dropped. Maybe somebody I do not know about did so. I agree with Deputy Kenny that Aer Lingus is the national airline and its whole profile should be based around that. I do not believe the few sentences would harm anyone and I do not believe anybody would object to them.

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