Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The higher remuneration body referred to the pay comparability of officeholders with the lower quartile of the private sector. The references I made last week were in respect of the highest earners who were earning millions of euro that they were obtaining obviously with shareholder approval, which is in compliance with company law but which, in terms of the message it sends — I was simply making the point — was important in the context of pay talks.

On Deputy Kenny's specific question about the Government decision, the decision, to which I was a party, was taken to defer the increase. That decision does not apply to other persons who will receive pay awards under that pay body recommendation. We deferred the increase for a year and then it will be paid over three further years.

The issue here is that the pay talks have begun and a contribution from all sides can be made in the context of those pay talks and those negotiations, but not beforehand.

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