Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry. I ask the question and the Minister can answer it in due course. I would be most concerned that the provision would apply to all public servants, including nurses, gardaí and teachers. Any of us who were listening to the radio in the past week or two will have been shocked to hear about the net take-home pay of some new gardaí, the garda recruits and gardaí who are putting their lives on the line to look after the rest of us.

They are getting what most people would not consider to be a decent salary for the work they do. Perhaps the Minister might deal with it in his reply or we can tease it out on Committee Stage. I will be happy if the Minister says the measure will be reversed in respect of those who came in on the lower pay scales and perhaps he might provide a detailed timeframe in this regard. I would be very pleased to support such a measure, given that it is an ongoing, burning issue with many people.

I return to the basis for the continued existence of the FEMPI legislation. While we all accept the reason it was introduced in the first instance, the Minister stated earlier:

The legal position concerning the financial emergency legislation, which has underpinned the reductions to date, had to be addressed as part of putting in place sustainable pay-setting arrangements in the public service for the future. The constitutionality of the Acts is predicated on the existence of a financial emergency ...

When the Minister goes canvassing next year, will he tell people we are still in a financial emergency? I have heard nothing-----

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