Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 8a:

In page 15, subsection (1), between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following:

"(g) to develop policies in relation to combatting the high levels of salary and pensions of senior employees of public service bodies and of excluded bodies, and

(h) to maintain a published record of all purchase orders in respect of the procurement of goods and services by and on behalf of Departments of State and other public service bodies.".

This is an important amendment which reflects the type of work the Government has, in fairness, been doing reasonably well. Colleagues and I pushed hard at meetings of our parliamentary party before the election for action on high rates of public sector pay. The last budget included a provision to impose a limit on salaries in the public sector and it is good that the Government has continued that initiative.

The first part of amendment No. 8a proposes particular power and functionality for the Minister for public expenditure and reform to develop policies for combating the high salary and pension rates of senior employees of the public service bodies and of excluded bodies. The second part of the amendment proposes "to maintain a published record of all purchase orders in respect of the procurement of goods and services by and on behalf of Departments of State and other public service bodies". The programme for Government includes a commitment that purchase orders above a certain amount - €20,000, as I recall - will be published by the relevant Department. The provision in this amendment offers a statutory basis for that commitment and makes it a function of the Minister for public expenditure and reform.

As Senator Jim Walsh said, we should not simply talk about value for money or formulate policies in that regard; we must take action to ensure we get value for money across the board. One of the ways in which that can be achieved is to examine the very high salaries that pertain at the highest levels of the public sector. This level of remuneration takes account neither of the economic reality of the public finances nor of commercial realities. People in similar jobs in private sector bodies are paid far less, and I am sure the bonus culture does not apply in companies with massive debts and where there have been losses for years. I concur with those who have observed that it seems to be a case of the elite looking after the elite.

The amendment seeks to set down in statute that the Minister will deal with this matter as part of his or her functions. It is also important that the Oireachtas sends out a message that we want the Minister, Deputy Howlin, to tackle this issue as one of the core functions of his Ministry. Public service reform is about ensuring services work better for the citizen. It is also about demonstrating that those who are paid from public moneys are in touch with citizens and are not intent on ripping off the system with unjustifiable salaries, which makes all of us lose faith in the public service. In that context, it would be helpful if the Minister would maintain a record of all purchases in respect of the procurement of goods and services by Departments and public service bodies. This would help to restore public confidence because everybody will be able to see what is being bought and whether value for money is obtained. If that information is available on a website, people might be in a position to telephone their local Deputy or the relevant Department if they know how a product or service can be obtained at a cheaper price. This would be greatly advantageous to Departments. That type of system is already in place in Britain. The Minister, fair play to him, is following the Tory playbook and getting a lot of ideas from that party. One idea the Government has taken from its British counterpart relates to the use of ministerial cars, an issue I promoted in my own parliamentary party but which was not acted on. However, the Tories went further than the current Government by getting rid of cars and drivers for almost all Ministers. The Government has not even done that and, moreover, it has appointed its friends and colleagues to driver positions rather than allocating those posts to members of the Garda Síochána. It is a win-win situation for Ministers in that they received public acclamation for taking action while securing a certain benefit for themselves.

The setting up of a website detailing all Departments' purchase orders would represent a major move towards the transparency and openness promised in the programme for Government. We are calling for action on that promise by giving it a legislative basis in the functions of the Minister.