Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are. There are 100,000 across the board, and I have checked that. There are other people who use the benefits of class K in the private sector as well, so it is not just ourselves.

What we are dealing with specifically is the issue where people who had served in this House found themselves out of a job, with no income and no prospect of a job during Covid. I am well familiar with the case that the Senator has referred to at times and I have great sympathy for the person involved because they did not get back to this House after the last election. Perhaps it is something the Members could come together on. The Senator prepared a report that went to the Oireachtas joint committee, which raised a number of issues. If something more definitive comes forward on an all-party basis, I am happy to look at that. I have sympathy with regard to the points the Senator is making.

Class K is constitutional because an Act was brought through the Oireachtas in 2011 and signed by the President. It is there. This was an extra tax on officeholders and a number of members of the Judiciary at the time, and other people use class K for other reasons and are happy to pay into it. I take the Senator's point. I will leave it at that. Maybe we can look at it in the coming months and the Senator can come forward to me with proposals as to what he thinks we should do. I believe it should be looked at in terms of the wider public service pay restoration.