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

The answer to the Deputy's first question is "Yes". The answer to the other questions is that the dispute is about timing and the implementation of the additional pay rises. It must be done broadly within budget and we must bear in mind the consequent costs. The Deputy has drawn equivalence with judges, for example, but that is a red herring. I have already explained that public sector pay is being restored for the lowest paid first and that has been done. The restoration will be extended to those on middle incomes earning up to €70,000 by the end of next year. For those who are high paid, like judges, the process is only starting and will not be completed until 2022 or 2023.

The Deputy's attempt to create equivalence with the national children's hospital and the national broadband plan is also deeply misleading. As the public sector pay bill is €19 billion per year, we can think of how many children's hospitals or broadband plans could be paid for with that money. We are spending multiples of the amounts set for the national broadband plan and the national children's hospital every year on public sector pay. The increase in public sector pay this year alone amounts to €400 million, which is multiples of the additional money we may need to find for the national children's hospital or the national broadband plan. The creating of equivalence is bogus and misleading.

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