asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in regard to Civil Service remuneration (a) the full list of the items taken into consideration for the purposes of fixing increases for cost-of-living bonus purposes, (b) the exact increase in the cost of each such item since June, 1954, (c) whether the percentage increases given cover fully the burden on the lower salaried officials, (d) if the lower salaried officials are fully recompensed, why additional percentage increases were given on the higher salaries, and (e) the saving to the Exchequer if such additional percentage increases were not given.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Civil Service: Cost-of-living Statistics.
The Deputy's question would appear to have been framed on the erroneous assumption that cost-of-living bonus is now being paid to civil servants. In fact, bonus automatically referable to movements of the cost-of-living figure ceased to be applied with effect from 1st July, 1940, by virtue of the Civil Service (Stabilisation of Bonus) Regulations, 1940. These regulations anticipated the general wages standstill imposed, with effect from 7th May, 1941, by the Emergency Powers (No. 83) Order, 1941. Since the latter date movements of Civil Service pay have largely been determined by reference to corresponding movements in outside employment. As indicated in the Dáil on 22nd February, 1956, in my speech on the Supplementary Estimate for Remuneration, the recent increases given to civil servants were in line with those obtained by outside workers during the course of the "fifth round increase". Agreement on these increases was arrived at under the conciliation and arbitration machinery for the Civil Service and has been honoured in full by the Government. The Deputy is mistaken in assuming that additional percentage increases were given on higher salaries; in fact, a lower percentage has been applied on salaries above the £6 a week category.
Is the Minister aware that, under that system, on the first £300 a 10 per cent. award was given and on the further salary, a further percentage was given? How does the Minister justify the increase? If £30 a year is the increase in the cost of living, according to his Government, for what is the extra percentage on the higher salaries?
The Deputy should have listened to the answer I gave to him originally.
Would the Minister be able to let us know what was the lowest percentage given over the £600 income?
Certainly. The revised percentages on pay based on the 1948 stabilised figure are: 37½ per cent. on the first £250; 22½ per cent. on the next £715; 17½ per cent. on the remainder.
There is no ceiling with regard to the income? If a man is in receipt of £1,500 a year, he is still entitled to get the 15 per cent.?
We have one section of the community so well protected that the higher the cost of living goes, the higher the burden that falls on the people, the better off they will be.
That is not a supplementary question.
The Deputy would have been wiser to frame his question for the information he wanted.
The Minister would have been wiser to mind his job.
The Deputy's example in that respect is not very illuminating.
Order! Question No. 12.