Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)

I wish to reiterate some comments made by previous speakers. Members learned today that Bord Gáis Éireann and the Dublin Airport Authority approved €1.9 million and €2.1 million, respectively, in bonuses last year. Other semi-State bodies such as EirGrid, Bord na Móna, An Post and the Irish Aviation Authority also paid bonuses but refused to disclose how much. The aforementioned €4 million in bonuses, for example, could have reversed the cuts to the rural transport scheme Members will discuss later. One must remember these are semi-State companies and some of the boards concerned attempted to rationalise such bonuses as being performance-related. What about the teachers, nurses and the hundreds of thousands of other workers across the State who are doing more work for less money with no pat on the back, no little earner on the side and no reward?

I acknowledge the Minister, Deputy Howlin, will be in this House tomorrow to deal with legislation and I completely agree that as a legislator, he should do so. However, I ask the Leader to bring him back another time, hopefully as soon as possible, to discuss the review of performance-related bonuses to semi-State bosses and employees that is to be undertaken in order to ascertain who is undertaking the review, what is its timeframe and terms of reference and whether this House is to have a say in this matter. The programme of Government has scheduled at least 34 other reviews and I seek to establish where this one will fit in.

Although I do not wish for me or my party to sound like a broken record, I note the review of the JLCs is before the Cabinet today. While the wages of the lower paid in society are set to be targeted, this House has not yet had an opportunity to inform this debate. Consequently, I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, to appear in this House to discuss his recommendations as a matter of urgency before Members hear about it in a press conference later or on some other day.