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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 8, 26, 29 and 32 together.

I have a responsibility, which I will discharge across the year, to put in place measures that bring certainty in respect of the public service pay bill for 2017. I am confident that if I had not taken this measure, Deputy Cullinane would be criticising me on that basis. I have adopted a particular measure and explained the process by which I will identify the funding for it, funding which is less than the amount of savings I identified in 2016. Across the year, through the reviews that are ongoing in my Department in the run-up to budget 2018 and in advance of the publication of the various papers that form part of the budgetary process, I will deal with this matter. Deputy Cullinane welcomed the progress we have made in this area. If I had not made this intervention, I would be subject to criticism today on that head.

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