Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the review of allowances and premium payment costs across the public service will be completed and its findings published. [15910/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As announced in my address to Dáil Éireann on the 2012 Expenditure Estimates on 5 December 2011, public service bodies have to achieve a reduction of 5% in the cost of allowances and premium payments in 2012. Further savings are anticipated in subsequent years.

In order to facilitate the public service wide review of allowances, Departments were required to submit information, including costs, on the allowances and premium payments specific to their Department or sector, and where a Department considered it necessary to retain an allowance or a premium payment, a thorough and considered business case, before 31 January 2012. Pending completion of the review, sanction/delegated sanction for the payment of an allowance or premium payment for which a business case has not been approved by this Department to any beneficiary was withdrawn from 31 January 2012 until further notice.

I intend to bring proposals to Government shortly in relation to the findings of the review. Urgent business case requests are being processed in so far as is possible in order to ensure that the work of the public service is not unduly disrupted during the review.