Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of the interim payment made under the higher remuneration review of the payment made to craft workers in the public service in lieu of benchmarking 1; if he has received the promised reports on these two dimensions of special pay awards; and their implications for the development of the public service pay bill. [23632/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The cost of the full increase to the Exchequer of the interim payment recommended by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector is about €33m a year. The greater part of this cost relates to the Health Service Executive because of the numbers of hospital consultants who constitute a majority of those covered by the Interim Report.

The cost of the payment made to craft workers and related grades in the public service under the first Parallel Benchmarking Process was about €160m in a full year. The final report of the seventh general review of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector has been received and I am bringing proposals to Government for consideration. The consultant's report under the second Parallel Benchmarking process on the pay of craft workers was presented to management and unions on 15 June 2007. Discussions are ongoing in relation to the report. In the event that the Government accept the recommendations of the Review Body, details of the implications for the Public Sector Pay Bill will be forwarded to the Deputy directly.