asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that in 1948 the Ministers for Local Government and Health approved revised salary scales for certain grades of officials employed by local authorities and, in addition, sanctioned the payment of a 7½ per cent. bonus under the Temporary Allowances Order, 1948; that some analogous grades such as assistance officers, whose conditions of employment are governed by his sanction, have not been paid this increase; and, if so, whether he will remove this inequity by sanctioning the payment of a 7½ per cent. bonus to these officials, with effect from November, 1948, and also allow such officers compensation for the loss of house, fuel and light allowances and fees retrospectively to 1946.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Officials' Salaries.
I assume that the Deputy's question refers to the position of assistance officers in the Dublin Board of Assistance. The position there is that the officers had their salaries revised with effect from the 1st November, 1946, at the time of the general revision of the salaries of officers of local authorities. A revised salary scale of £300 by £10 increments to £400 a year was given to the small number of permanent officers then employed, a deduction of £40 a year being made in two cases where officers were supplied with house, fuel and light. The unestablished officers, who outnumbered the permanent officers, were given a fixed salary of £325 a year. In both cases, fees for extra assistance work were paid at amounts varying between £8 and £26 a year.
In December, 1948, I approved a revised inclusive salary scale of £300 by £15 to £450 a year for these officers, to operate with effect from the 1st June, 1948, with the same deduction of £40 for living accommodation in two cases. In addition, I approved of the permanent appointment of the unestablished officers retrospectively to October, 1943, and agreed that their salaries should be increased to the correct point on the salary scale. Later, I approved of a proposal to give those officers credit for previous temporary service in determining higher points of entry on the salary scale. A few other officers, who are temporarily employed as substitutes, have been allowed increments on the salary scale for each completed year of their service, instead of remaining on a fixed salary.
The Dublin assistance officers have gained substantially more than 7½ per cent. increase on their 1947 salaries and they have the added advantage that the increase is a permanent and pensionable one.