Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The last review was September 2000. We are saying that we will not pay the rest of the increases and will examine the situation in 2010 if the situation has improved for those who claim they have an independent review body recommendation. This was always implemented under successive Governments in the interest of trying to maintain confidence in pay determination for this important, albeit smaller, group in the public service and to confirm there is a process in place that is not being abandoned but whose recommendations cannot be implemented in view of current economic circumstances. That is a fair, reasonable, sensible approach.

See this speech in context