Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

No, I have not met them yet. Deputy Howlin has met the implementation body. I will be able to meet them in due course. Under the public service agreement, the position on public service pay must be reviewed on an annual basis and this will happen before 30 June. This will take account of sustainable savings generated from the implementation of the agreement. The agreement states that in the event of sufficient savings being identified in the spring 2011 review, priority in pay will be given to public servants with pay rates of €35,000 or less. There is recognition of the stress in that. The EU-IMF programme states that by the end of the third quarter of 2011, the Government "will consider an appropriate adjustment, including in the overall public service wage bill, to compensate for potential shortfalls in the projected savings arising from administrative efficiencies and public service number reductions." That is in the agreement and that is why it is necessary everybody understands that this is an agreement that simply must be effectively implemented. That is why it must be speeded up.

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