The programme for Government includes a commitment to establish a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the public service. Most of us anticipated that the Government would adopt a coherent structured approach to public sector pay. I expressed concern when a much hiked salary was rumoured for the next Garda Commissioner. I am even more concerned at reports that universities are now to be given freedom to pay academics up to €250,000. It appears the Government is willing to make exceptions to pay policy but only at the very top. Does the Government intend to continue to make exceptions to top level public sector pay for the highest earners and where stands the Universities (Amendment) Bill, which would have put a stop to breaches of pay in those particular institutions?

The Public Service Pay Commission is examining areas where there is difficulty in recruiting. The Government recognises that while observing public pay policy in a fair and even-handed way and living within the available resources, we have to be conscious of areas where there is genuine difficulty in recruiting people. The Deputy will know that such difficulties apply in many sectors, including the health sector and others. The same policy informs us that where we are seeking to recruit world class researchers who would become magnets to help develop and strengthen our third level sector, we have to be willing to pay the price necessary to get those. I believe the Deputy has always recognised that we need the best leaders in our public services.

The Government has to show some flexibility in respect of the posts it is filling and the difficulty in getting the right person for those jobs. That is the approach we are taking.