Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have already outlined what the timeframe is for discussions on the future of public pay in this country, in response to questions from Deputy Dara Calleary and others. I also spoke about what will happen in the aftermath of the Lansdowne Road agreement, what a successor agreement could look like, and the timings and processes we need to do this.

The simple challenge we face is affordability. The saving to the State of, for example, all of the FEMPI legislation earnings that are currently not available to public and civil servants is €1.4 billion every year. The only way in which we can make progress on these matters is by doing so in a way that is affordable to everybody. Deputy Joan Collins has raised, as did Deputy John Brady earlier, the issue of pay for new entrants. We have made progress on the issue but we must do so in tandem with making progress on other matters, for example, the issues the Deputy raises in the House every week. That is what the Government is seeking to do.

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