Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Indeed, and the factual matters were beyond the scope of the question as well but I will try to help the Deputy by getting that information together for her. I will ask my officials to do that because I do not have it on my brief in regard to, for example, the take-up in the early retirement scheme. I understand a few hundred applications have been received but the deadline date is 1 September and generally, with any scheme of that type, a larger volume arrives nearer the deadline date.

Regarding the question of the lump sum, I am not aware that the chairman of the expenditure control group had expressed any views on this particular matter. The matter is being considered not by the expenditure control group but by the Commission on Taxation and my understanding is that it is examining this question and will include any proposals it may have in that regard in its report.

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