What the Government assumed and hoped was a political own goal has become politically and economically popular. Realising this, the Government, particularly the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, has in recent days strained at the bit to emphasise the requirement that without public service improvements and increases in productivity, benchmarking will not be paid. It will be extremely interesting to see how this extravagant saga plays out. I doubt and remain sceptical that many of the so-called commensurate increases and improvements in public service and productivity will be delivered in return for what is a whopping give away.