Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress made in respect of reform of public sector allowances; the savings he expects to make in this area in 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51624/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As part of the next steps of the Allowances Review process, my Department has written to sectoral management instructing them to immediately engage with staff interests with a view to securing their early agreement to the elimination of those departmental allowances payable to current beneficiaries, where no business cases exists to pay those allowances to new beneficiaries.

Departments have begun to respond to my Department on the request for prioritisation and engage with staff representatives on the issues. Given the process now underway, it is not appropriate to identify a specific target for savings.