Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

Shame on a Deputy who makes assumptions without listening to the reply. The Deputy may refer to the fact that Departments were able to publish lists of allowances payable. It is certainly true that they published lists of allowances payable in each Department. These are Civil Service allowances, many of which are personal to holders and therefore would not have been payable to new beneficiaries - for example the children's allowance which is only payable to those in the Civil Service. On 1 January 1978 the Civil Service comprised only 10% of the public service. The allowances review covers all public service allowances and is therefore a wider exercise. Shame on the Deputy for jumping to conclusions. It is an awful pity he did not know about his first contribution.

See this speech in context