David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

Exactly, but the Minister can change it. As in any legislation, the amendment will empower the Oireachtas to make those changes. To prevent the Government from having to come back each year to seek the consent of the Oireachtas to increase the pension entitlement, the Minister, if he accepted the principle of a cap, could link the cap to the consumer price index. That could be a way to do it. However, to rubbish the notion of a cap and say one cannot put a limit on the pension someone in the public service can potentially receive is simply wrong.

The Minister is correct when he says people in the public service are now making a greater contribution to their pensions. A significant amount of the salary of Oireachtas Members is also deducted to fund our pensions, as well as the pension levy which all workers pay. I accept that. People also pay into their own pension funds. There is nothing wrong, however, in saying someone should not receive a pension in excess of a certain amount. How the amount is calculated and dealt with on a year-on-year basis is a different issue which could be worked out if the Minister was minded to accept the amendment. We cap pay in certain sectors.

The point of principle remains. We believe that no public service pension that is paid this year should be in excess of €60,000. If that figure needs to be adjusted in the future, or linked to the consumer price index, that is a different issue. Sinn Féin wants the Government to accept the principle of having a cap, but it is obviously something the Government does not accept.