I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 to 203, inclusive, together.
The benchmarking process is a genuine attempt to set pay levels for the Irish public service in the context of the Irish economy. Benchmarking represents an open, independent, innovative and progressive way of tackling the issue of setting appropriate pay levels. The process provided the Defence Forces representative associations with an opportunity to present their cases in relation to their members' pay levels.
The Public Service Benchmarking Body, PSBB, established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness issued its report on 1 July 2002. The body linked implementation of its report's recommendations to modernisation in the public service. Under the terms of the adjustment to the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness agreed with the public service unions in December 2000, one quarter of any recommended increases would be paid with effect from 1 December 2001. The PSBB recommended that payment of the balance of the increases recommended in its report should be dependent on the achievement of real and verifiable outputs from modernisation, change, adaptability and flexibility. Discussions between the public service employers and unions on the implementation of the recommendations are ongoing, with a particular emphasis on the issues of change, modernisation and verification.
In conjunction with this process, parallel talks are being held with the Permanent Defence Force representative associations; PDFORRA, the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association; and RACO, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, on the implementation of the PSBB's recommendations in the Defence Forces. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be premature for me to comment on the outcome of those discussions at this stage.