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

In fairness, Deputy Cullinane did do so, which I acknowledge. The fact is that those who joined pre-2013 will see changes in their wages of between 6% and 7.4%. Anyone who joined after 2013 will see wage changes of between 7% and 10% across the duration of this agreement, if ratified. That was not acknowledged by any of the Deputies across the House who claim to speak the loudest about those affected by the agreement.

I heard this evening the claim that we need to get rid of the FEMPI provisions immediately and swiftly from the same Deputies who a number of months ago were calling on me to develop a path out of FEMPI. Now that we are on the verge of potentially doing that, it is no longer good enough. What has to be done has to be done in a single move. Some Deputies are at least aware of the competing demands on the public purse. They make the point in different ways, while still criticising me, and say that we have to make choices. However, that is then offered up as some sort of evidence of betrayal of those they represent. Instead, what the Government - and some in the Oireachtas who are supporting us - is doing is trying to find a way to balance all the demands.

One particular matter that was raised on a number of occasions and which I have touched on is the difference between pre and post-2013 members of our public service. In the context of the call on me to deal fully with the difficulties in terms of different wage curves and increment levels within our public service, depending on when they joined, Deputy Cullinane did at least acknowledge the cost of that in a single year. It is €206 million. He acknowledged it and, in fairness, he has called on me to provide that information on a number of occasions.

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