Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have one or two quick questions, although the Taoiseach may have dealt with the matter in his first answer. The minutes of the board are available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, but I can only find records up until May. Were any meetings held after May? If so, when can we expect the minutes of these meetings to be posted?

The Taoiseach made the point that this Civil Service management board has a key role in the Civil Service renewal plan and in the reform under way. The nub of this is contained in an earlier response from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, when he stated:

Public Service Reform is a key element of the Government's overall strategy for recovery. Led by my Department, the reforms delivered over the past four years have enabled us to maintain and improve public services in the face of the necessary reduction in staff numbers and budgets, at a time of increased demand for public services.

That is the nub. I agree that the public service - the Civil Service, in particular - is generally speaking a good service and that the people who work in it do their very best. However, the Government's austerity programme has reduced staff numbers, cut budgets and cut the funding for public services significantly. Is that not at the nub of some of the difficulties?

We have some of the highest rates of low pay in the developed world. To put it better, we have some of the lowest rates of pay in the developed world in this State. Given that the Government is the largest employer in the State, has the Taoiseach considered introducing a living wage of €11.45 throughout the Civil Service? Would that not increase morale and ensure greater productivity by civil servants?

See this speech in context