Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak tonight on this motion, because I am extremely unhappy with the current situation. I believe that politics is about trying to effect change and I did that on this occasion to the best of my ability. I have fought a hard fight within my party since before Christmas to try to effect change, but I am sad to say that I have failed on this issue.

Since our parliamentary party meeting last week, I have had a number of meetings with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, and the Chief Whip, Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, where I vigorously pursued the issue as to why the Government ignored the recommendations of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and why we were informed that only 160 people were involved in these changes when we now know that the actual number is 630 and growing.

I believe that this was a retrograde decision, giving bad example to each and everyone within the lower grades of the public service, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet and who, contrary to the myths, work hard on a daily basis in line with the old adage of "an honest day's work for an honest day's pay". I appeal to the relevant grades to whom this reversal applies to show leadership and good example at this late stage and to forgo to some extent the benefits of their new situation. I believe that the bonus system has been a bad policy from its inception and the situation was exacerbated when those same bonuses became cavalierly regarded as income of right, which is now being used as justification for these recent changes.

This is nonsense and is anathema to all right thinking hard working citizens of this country whether they are in the public service or the private sector. I have been told on numerous occasions by lower grade public sector workers that it was on the assessment of their hard work that a bonus was awarded to the heads of Departments, which is clearly unfair. During these meetings I have received assurances from the Minister for Finance that the Government has no wish to seek further reductions in public service pay rates especially from the lower paid and I fully accept this. I have here extracts from the Taoiseach, which are on the record of the House from 27 February 2010, which give these same reassurances.

Having consulted widely over the past week with my constituents and supporters, I have decided that although I am clearly unhappy with the current situation, I am and will be in a far stronger position to effect change from within the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party as the majority party in Government.

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