Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that there are real bottlenecks because we have not had the capacity and have been downsizing. That is why, last year, I moved to recruit more gardaí and in the budget I announced 1,700 more teachers. We are recruiting more SNAs and are recruiting nurses again. They are front-line staff. That is part of what I have described as the dividend from the reforms we brought about.

We have abolished the moratorium and are now devolving to each agency and Department control of their own pay bill. They will therefore determine, within an agreed pay framework, what level of individual skills they need to provide their services. With the exception of one adjustment at secondary level, we have always maintained the pupil-teacher ratio which required us to hire a lot more teachers.

As regards the Haddington Road agreement, which I have been responsible for, we did not have a general reduction in pay. We had a reduction in pay for those earning over €65,000 per annum. Even for those, it ranged from 5.5% at the bottom to 10% at the top, to be fair.

I will make a final point so that there will be no confusion about it. In terms of the pay recovery we are now involved in, it is my intention that the pay ceilings I put in place immediately on taking office, will be retained.

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