Value for money was supposed to be the hallmark of the benchmarking process. Ministers have commented in the media on endemic overtime in the Prison Service. There was not a word about that issue when benchmarking was discussed and Ministers are now scurrying for reform when there is no money in the kitty. They have blown the opportunity that benchmarking offered. Last year 90% of the extra resources that the Minister for Finance had available on budget day were expended on public pay, if social welfare increases are excluded. Only 10% remained for non-pay elements. Bureaucracy pre-empted the money and, therefore, there were cuts in the home help and respite care services and grants for people with disabilities and beds were closed. However, public servants continued to be paid. There was an inability to deliver services because of the way in which the last budget was framed and there will be greater evidence of this next year. We do not mean to undermine social partnership by questioning the benchmarking deal and the returns that are being made on it. Our ideas may challenge social partnership, which will be worthwhile only if it can face such challenges and emerge with a deal that better serves the people and delivers improved services. Social partnership should make the public service more rewarding and ambitious. People should be able to have dynamic public sector careers, in which they can demonstrate the professional expertise for which they were trained. That is where Fine Gael stands on benchmarking.