Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

My understanding is that in recent months, an bord snip nua has been looking at expenditure headings in all Departments. As the Taoiseach himself acknowledged, the gross cost of the attached assistant principal officer's salary, pension entitlements and so on probably is approximately €100,000 per annum. Even if that person devoted only 20% of his or her time to looking after the two Independent Members, one still comes out with a cost of approximately €20,000 simply to massage the Independent Members and ensure they get the news out first, even before the Government Deputies. Has the cost of the deal and the cost of servicing the deal been examined by an bord snip nua or otherwise? We hear that all sorts of vital areas of expenditure, some 400 areas, have been offered for review, cut back or abolition. There is no case in a parliamentary democracy for the basis of a programme for Government being held in part in secret. Is the expenditure involved in dealing with Independent Deputies subject to examination by an bord snip nua?

The Taoiseach referred to the cost of the civil servant. Three of the Deputies indicated that the value of the deal to their constituencies amounts to many tens of millions of euro. Deputy Finian McGrath claimed to have a commitment from Government on cystic fibrosis. This was included in the cost of his deal. Two of the Deputies who were subject to the deal have gone because Deputy Flynn has rejoined Fianna Fáil and Deputy Finian McGrath is no longer party to the deal.

In these changed financial circumstances we have an expensive administrative superstructure. Has Mr. Colm McCarthy's group examined this? What is the value of the deal for each of the remaining Deputies who support the Government? The Green Party has stated, and the Taoiseach has acknowledged, that there will be a review of the programme for Government. Will this review take into account the Independent Deputies? Will it involve one-on-one negotiations with the Taoiseach, the Chief Whip or the assistant principal assigned to look after them?

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