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

The reason is that my own Department has overall responsibility for pay policy. As a result, we are present or involved in the preparation of submissions to the pay commission. The Deputy will know that in addition to the submissions that the employer makes, submissions are also made by those who represent employees, which, one hopes, allows the Public Service Pay Commission to make a nuanced conclusion in respect of the different issues it examines and make recommendations that will form the basis of acceptance by both sides. The short answer, as I have stated, is that my Department is present because of its responsibility for overall pay policy.

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