An estimated €1.5 billion, and probably more, will be paid out if this agreement, from which Senator Mansergh read, is passed by the unions, employers and farmers, particularly the first two groups. It was an extremely cynical exercise. The report on benchmarking was issued on 30 June 2002. It was peculiarly timed so that the public service unions would not cause difficulties before the election. If one is being charitable, it was an extraordinary coincidence. Those unions did not cause difficulties. After the election, everything was apparently agreed behind closed doors, but the benchmarking body suffered an extraordinary blow when, many weeks before the report's publication, its most independent member decided to leave. It is quite obvious that he bailed out because he regarded the report as a ready-up. It was agreed with powers in IBEC and the ICTU, under Government pressure to agree anything and not to cause splits before the election, and out they came.