Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)

I accept that the Government will try to address this in the future. I suggest, however, that it will not do enough. Perhaps the Tánaiste will answer the following two supplementary questions. Should he not, in light of what has happened, abolish lump sum payments to top civil servants? Can the Tánaiste give us an assurance that no further lump sum payments will be made? The capping of these payments at €60,000 is completely unacceptable. There should be no such payments. There is no excuse for giving people lump sums at a time of austerity, such as we are now experiencing.

If the Tánaiste can do nothing to address this problem right now, which I doubt, will he join me in asking Mr. McCarthy to return his lump sum payment given the enormous pension he is on?

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