Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I acknowledge the Taoiseach's response regarding the Moriarty tribunal and I will await the clarification he intends to send to me on the Health Service Executive circular and the position regarding the staffs of bodies that are funded by the public purse, rather than those who are directly employed in the public sector. I wish to pursue the other two matters I raised a little further. The Taoiseach did not respond to the question I asked about the decision that was taken to apply the cut to the salaries of assistant and deputy secretaries and similar grades on the basis of the consolidated pay plus bonus that had been removed previously. I asked the Taoiseach whether this was a decision taken by the Government and whether he was involved in that decision and I seek an answer in this regard.

I am unclear in respect of the application of the pay cuts. I appreciate that the legislation was passed and that it was to have applied to 2010. My question was whether the process of cutting pay has begun and from what date.

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