Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Minister has given a glowing account of what is contained in the second report of the implementation group but I asked what are his criteria for assessing the report. I note the figures for the reduction in staff numbers are good and the public sector pay bill has been reduced and I note the non-pay savings. What has been the cost of the severance payments for the 11,500 staff who left this year? I would estimate the average cost would be at least €70,000 per person. What is the cost? It is not in that report. Maybe they will say it is not their job, but it is certainly the Minister's job to inform this House of the cost of the severance payments.

I also want the Minister to clarify the figures supplied by his Department. Will he comment on the fact that the public sector pay bill from 2009 to 2011 fell by 4% per annum, whereas the figures from 2012 to 2015 are only to fall by 1.75%? The chart in the report refer to a gross public sector pay bill in 2009 of €17.5 billion and compares it to the net pay bill in 2015, but that is nonsense. The report does not even compare, in the same sentence, gross or net figures with their equivalents. It mixes and matches them to give a bigger figure, which does not tally with the chart that is printed there.

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