Dan Boyle (Green Party)

These are the alternatives we are talking about. In terms of the rest of the Bill, I want to place on record my concern with regard to controlling public sector pensions. We know that 80% of expenditure is on health, education and social protection, and we know 40% is on social protection alone. One of the most frightening statistics for me is that 50% of all expenditure is made up of a combination of 26% on public sector salaries and 24% either going on provision for future public sector pensions or on the current payment of pensions. That is not sustainable. Neither is it sustainable that Secretaries General who have retired in the past ten years are now earning more in pension than they earned while in full State employ. These are issues that should never have been created and which this Bill will stop.

In addition, measures have been introduced in regard to public officials.

There have been significant pay cuts for Ministers and Ministers of State, but I would go further. There should be pay cuts for Members of the Oireachtas.