Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

A minute or two, with the leave of the Ceann Comhairle. Deputy Varadkar made a very constructive suggestion. Were we to say that a combination of a pay reduction with improvements in work practices in the next year would secure the necessary savings for 2011 and bring certainty into the public service and certainty to their income, it would be of enormous assistance to the public sector. The longer we can give citizens certainty in which they can plan their affairs for the next two years, the better. It is a constructive suggestion. Incidentally, it is not at 7.5% reduction, it was adjusted in the April budget and amounts to 6.9% or a 7% reduction if rounded up. There was an alleviatory measure in the April budget for the lower paid.

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