Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I have explained the situation regarding the Department itself but it is not correct to conflate that with what we have been discussing in recent days. It is part of the existing pay pot of those departmental grades. As was the case in many public service pay review recommendations, it concerns how one can incentivise and recognise exceptional merit, far more modestly than what is suggested was happening in the banks. It is part of the existing pay pool. Other Departments incorporated it across the board into those departmental pay grades. The average was about €2,000 to €2,500, which is totally different than what we were talking about yesterday.

The boards of non-commercial semi-State bodies have a responsibility to ensure that is being done. The Minister issued a circular to that effect. I am checking it out to ensure that it is being dealt with properly across all those agencies.

The commercial semi-State sector has a commercialised agenda. It has commercial contracts to their boards, which have to be dealt with in that way. It is important, however, not to conflate what was happening with middle-ranking public servants with what was discussed yesterday.

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