Brendan Howlin
Question:88 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in establishing the benchmarking process promised in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. [9739/01]
Written Answers. - Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
I refer the Deputy to my reply of 26 October concerning the establishment of the Public Service Benchmaking Body.
The body was established on 19 July following discussions between public service employers and unions as provided for under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. It has been asked to report by end of June 2002.
The membership of the body is: chairperson – Mr. Justice Quirke, Judge of the High Court; members – Mr. Billy Attley, former general secretary of SIPTU; Mr. John Dunne, outgoing director general of IBEC; Mr. Phil Flynn, former president of ICTU and general secretary of IMPACT; Ms Maureen Lynott, management consultant; Mr. Paddy Mullarkey, former Secretary General, Department of Finance; Mr. Jim O'Leary, chief economist, Davy Stockbrokers.
The body has met the unions and employers and has been receiving submissions from both sides both on general matters and in relation to specific groups who are being reviewed. The secretariat is drawn from both the Civil Service and the trades unions and it has been well resourced so that it will be enabled to complete its task by the target deadline. The body will undertake its own research and it is envisaged that oral hearings will take place with the employers and unions in the autumn, when the submissions will have been considered by the body and its own research will be complete.
I have every confidence that the body will meet the deadline for the finalisation of the report. Under the PPF it has been agreed that any increases arising from the benchmarking body will be paid with effect from 1 December 2001.