Madam, - Benchmarking was an election gimmick and the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, is correct to call it into question.
The cost of benchmarking over the next 10 years, at current prices, could be about €13 billion. If used productively, these funds would enable us to reduce class sizes, repair leaking roofs, open and staff more hospitals, police our streets, reduce traffic congestion and care better for the elderly.
It is extraordinary that the private sector acquiesced so readily to benchmarking given that at least one month's income tax paid by all private sector workers will, for every year henceforth, be used to fund the scheme.
Many of the action plans linked to benchmarking merely represent good management or normal progress and should be carried out anyway.They do not relate to labour productivity unless performed by existing staff in addition to their existing tasks. In the private sector, productivity means higher output for the same input or maintained output from reduced input.
As the justifications for benchmarking awards are, inexplicably, a State secret and economic conditions have, in any event, rendered them obsolete, we cannot afford any more fudge. We must insist that the same definition of productivity be used by the private and public sectors. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN FLANAGAN, Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Co Dublin.