My Department has undertaken no costing of the initiative outlined by the Deputy as the introduction of any such scheme would necessarily have to take place on a cross Governmental basis and costs determined centrally as part of the estimates budgetary process. Pre-determined salary scales negotiated at central level are applied to all staff in the department.
On a purely indicative basis it is not anticipated that the introduction of such a scheme in my own Department would incur significant cost as the majority of staff are on salary points above that mentioned by the Deputy.