Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There are several questions. The questions the Deputy asked about Bord Gáis Éireann are more appropriate to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. He is the line Minister with responsibility in that area and he has the detailed knowledge. I set Government policy on a cross-sectoral basis. As I have indicated to the House, I do not have responsibility for commercial semi-state company staff below the level of chief executive.

Deputy McDonald is right: we need to have a debate about this. We need to decide whether we want commercial semi-state companies. I do. We need to allow them to operate in a commercial way and to structure performance-related pay in a way that delivers best for the company and, ultimately, for the shareholder - that is, the taxpayer. There is an issue in respect of transparency and that should be examined. Anyway, the company is migrating from bonus payments or increment payments to a performance-related payment on a commercial basis.

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