Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

However, there is a limit in that regard. I remember Opposition politicians from 1999 onwards asking when the benchmarking body's report would come in for such and such a group and saying that it should be paid immediately. A Fine Gael Member of the other House, who was the spokesperson on education, wanted the award for teachers implemented immediately the benchmarking body had reported. Now they want it postponed. It must further be remembered that, after we set up the benchmarking body, from the time it first sat until it reported, most commentators, politicians and people in various groups expected the average increases to be much more, perhaps helped along by some of the utterances of the great Senator O'Toole, when the average cost across the public sector was only 8.9%.

The process of benchmarking for public servants started in 1999 and the final instalment of the award will not be paid until 2005, which is a six year gap. The one thing we can learn from this process is that it has been possible to do it. We set up the benchmarking body in very good economic times and we are implementing it in times that are not so good, which has led to much of the debate now. However, the relativities and the measuring of the public against the private sector were done as everyone said that they should be done. Everyone on all sides of the House said that it was a good process.