David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 3

In page 15, line 32, after “determine” to insert “subject to review by the Committee as defined under section 17 of this Act”.

I do like to make mileage, as the Chairman knows, and I am very pleased to be co-operating with him this evening.

This is a simple and straightforward amendment. The Minister of State will know that the purpose of the amendment is to ensure that all pay increases in excess of public sector rates are subject to review by the finance committee. Again, we had a lengthy discussion on this on Committee Stage. Far too often we have seen payments made in excess of what was agreed in terms of public sector rates, rates for those at the top of the public sector and special advisers. With this amendment we are advocating that this would not happen save for the acceptance or support of the finance committee. There would be some level of democratic oversight and scrutiny and it would not be that any Minister of the day could decide to breach the salary caps. There would have to be a report to the finance committee and it would have to sign off on it.

The Minister of State said that it could create a precedent for all sorts of pay issues in respect of the public purse and public pay. However, this is specific and unique. The Government has accepted that there needs to be salary caps at the top, but they are often breached. Afterwards we are told that there is nothing we can do about it, which is why we are trying to bring in some sort of accountability. That is the purpose of the amendment. We rehearsed this on Committee Stage and I am pre-empting that the Minister of State will not support this amendment as well. If he does not, we will press the amendment.

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