Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has suggested rail subsidies should be raised to the European average, arguing that if we did so, it would meet the pay demands of the unions. I would have thought we should put the passenger and consumer first, and if we raised our subsidies to the European average, we should be looking for a European rail service. That is the priority I would attach to this and it demonstrates the contrast in our approach. My priority will always be safety and services, people and passengers, and it is what we should put first. On pay we could do European benchmarking. If it makes sense to have a European level of subsidy for railways, surely the same should apply to pay and we could pay staff whatever is the European average. If the logic applies on the level of subsidy, it should also apply to the level of pay.

Deputy Martin asked about the work being done by the strategic communications unit, SCU. I am glad to confirm it is doing exactly what I said it would. It is informing people of their entitlements, including new entitlements. This includes the campaign around the restoration of treatment benefits. Free scaling and polishing is available for people who pay pay-related social insurance, PRSI, including the self-employed for the first time. It is one of the new benefits that the Government is introducing for the self-employed and restoring for others. It is a good step forward and it is about making work pay.

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