In the past, I advised the establishment of a retired pensioners' alliance that would feed into public sector pay talks. This would bring together retired pensioners from throughout the Civil Service and public service. When public sector pay talks and negotiations take place there is no formal input by retired pensioners. In fact, trade unions do not normally represent them. Anomalies have arisen for various public sector pensioners in the context of the round of pay restoration and the most recent FEMPI legislation and this inequity needs to be addressed. In the context of the public sector pay stability agreement expiring at the end of next year, will the Government give access to the Alliance of Retired Public Servants to future pay talks? More pressingly, will the Tánaiste raise with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the need to address now with the alliance anomalies that most people in the House would like to see addressed?

I hear what the Deputy is saying but because there is no trade union representation it is difficult to facilitate a structured engagement that would be equivalent to that which existing recognised trade unions have. There are other mechanisms to allow sectors that do not have trade union representation to input into the process in parallel with the formal negotiations that go on. Whether this is a way to facilitate what the Deputy is looking for I am not quite sure. I would like the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to address this in a bit more detail rather than me winging it here. Having been in the Department of Defence I know there are other mechanisms through which interests can be represented in the context of public sector pay negotiations and considerations.

I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy with more detail in that regard.