Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach made reference to the two benchmarking reports, the first of which was paid in full. He said that the second report, which was produced in 2007, has not been paid. Do I take it that the 2007 agreement has been set aside, particularly in light of the contents of the Croke Park agreement, which commits to no further pay increases before 2014? When the arrangement whereby public servants are given half an hour off to cash their cheques was raised and became an issue recently, I was one of those who were surprised that it had not been weeded out of the system in return for earlier benchmarking payments. Can I ask why that was not done? Why was the benchmarking agreement not availed of to bring that practice to an end? When we asked questions about the Croke Park agreement in mid-October, the Taoiseach told the House that action plans had been submitted. Can he give the House specific details of the proposals in the action plan that has been submitted by the Department of the Taoiseach?

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