Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The difficulty with the Minister's reply is that it jabs at an answer. Previously, he has stood up in the House and given a commitment of sorts that those on lower incomes within the public service, including the Civil Service, would be prioritised. Ever since he made that commitment, the Minister has studiously rowed back from it. He says that every public servant has made a contribution. Yes, they were all captured by the FEMPI legislation. However, the big scandal in terms of the payment system within the public service is that there is a small minority at the top end who are outrageously overpaid by international standards while there is a set of people further down the chain who do not even earn the living wage. Some 4,000 of them, in fact, rely on family income supplement. When the Minister talks about winding back FEMPI and reinstating pay, he should start with that set of workers as a matter of logic as well as decency. What is the Minister going to do for them that is prudent, modest and sustainable?

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