Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

The allowances cover an extraordinary range of entities across the public service and relate to many different issues. Some of them could quite reasonably be acknowledged as being part of core payments even though they are called "allowances". The Deputy will recall that last week, we debated a so-called allowance that is payable to a Minister of State. I regard that as a wage. There are analogies to that across the public service. Some of the allowances in question are historic. When the Deputy reads all 800 cases in due course, she will raise an eyebrow when she comes across some cases and she will wonder whether there is a place for them. The Deputy asked whether I regard these allowances and premiums as being part of core pay. In some instances, they are. In many instances, they are not. She also asked whether any changes will apply to new entrants only. By and large, they will apply to new entrants only. There might not be a sustainable business case in some instances. When I answered that question in exactly that fashion last week, a great deal of news print was devoted to what I had to say. It is clear that there is no longer a justification for some historic allowances. I will seek to address those in the current framework. The changes to most allowances will affect new entrants only.

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