Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 2

Written Answers. - Public Service Benchmarking.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

24 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Finance when it is intended to establish the proposed public service benchmarking body to examine public sector pay and conditions, arising from the commitment given in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness; if his attention has been drawn to the views expressed by some unions that the body would have to start work in the summer of 2000 if its findings were to inform post-PPF pay decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18166/00]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

I would refer the Deputy to my reply of 27 May 2000 about the benchmarking body.

Under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the benchmarking body has to be established by 31 December 2000 and produce its report by the end of 2002. However, my Department is already engaged in discussions with the public service unions with a view to establishing the body early, before the autumn, and asking it to report by autumn 2002. This acceleration of the process reflects the complexity of the task which the body is being asked to undertake and the need to allow time for the implementation of its recommendations to be considered by the parties and discussed in the context of any successor to the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.