Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The factual situation is clear. The only fair and transparent way in which one can achieve 3% payroll savings is to impose that obligation on everybody. Everyone can make a case. Within the ceiling of the overall 3% payroll savings, which are necessary and must be obtained, one can, if an area has a problem, work through the Department of Finance and the public service. People listen to these points of view at the official level in terms of what the public services believes is required. That is how it works.

One cannot come into the House and state there is a need for payroll savings but one has a problem here and there. Everyone can make that argument. The bottom line is that there is no evidence, based on the supplementary information available to me, to suggest that the DPP cannot do its job because we are seeking a 3% saving in payroll costs. That is not the case. The assertions are being made here but it is not the case based on the information available to me, nor should it be. Why should it be so? It should not arise when trying to make efficiencies to the tune of 3% of payroll costs.

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