Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I will answer the last question first because it is very important and the answer to which is no. I have dealt with the troika on the issue of public pay policy and its members have no difficulty with the policy of the Government as long as we achieve the extra payroll savings set out, with which they are in agreement.

I have dealt with the issue of top level pay. Let us consider what has happened. There has been a pay reduction of 9% at clerical officer level; a teacher has experienced a reduction of 12%; a staff nurse, 10.5%; and a garda, 11%; while a middle ranking civil servant has had a pay cut of 12.5%. These reductions are on top of the levies paid and everything else. One should not dismiss the pain the public sector has endured.

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