Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Senator Ó Brolcháin was there too. As Senator Healy Eames knows, because I was very clear about it on the day we met them, I believe there is an obligation, and I will continue fighting for this both publicly and privately, that we be given a clear outline of the choices. I believe, and I am sure the Senator will concur because the Fine Gael Party previously had a major policy on savings in the public service, there are ways of cutting costs without cutting front-line services. Our first duty as politicians is to examine how we can cut costs without affecting such services. We found ways of doing it in other sectors. It involves analysing everything and considering whether it is now best practice in the 2010 context.

With regard to the issue we are discussing today, there was a pilot scheme. As Minister, I believed it was my first duty not to have an interregnum or uncertainty, during which doubts were created in people's minds, between the end of the pilot scheme and the start of a permanent dispensation and provision. I received two letters from people saying they were beginning to be worried as to whether I was going to take action. I had already put everything in place, more or less, before I received those two letters. I was pleased that we were able to create certainty following on from uncertainty. A budget has been made available and the service will commence in January 2011. It is about nine weeks to Christmas and most people take a week off over the Christmas period. One arrangement ceases at that time and we will move seamlessly on to the new arrangement and in my view that is a satisfactory arrangement in this regard.