asked the Minister for the Public Service the cost of public service pensions as a percentage of total Government expenditure in each of the past ten years.
Written Answers. - Public Service Expenditure.
156.
The cost of public service pensions as a percentage of total current Government expenditure in each of the past ten financial years is as follows:
|
Year |
Percentage |
|
1980 (Provisional) |
2.69 |
|
1979 |
2.69 |
|
1978 |
2.69 |
|
1977 |
2.86 |
|
1976 |
2.92 |
|
1975 |
2.72 |
|
1974 (April-Dec.) |
3.08 |
|
1973/74 |
3.22 |
|
1972/73 |
3.17 |
|
1971/72 |
2.92 |
157.
asked the Minister for the Public Service the cost of public service pay as a percentage of total Government expenditure in each of the past ten years.
The following is the information requested by the Deputy:
|
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
(d) |
|
Year |
Public Service Pay |
Current Government Expenditure |
(b) as a percentage of (c) |
|
£m |
£m |
% |
|
|
1970/71 |
134 |
491 |
27.3 |
|
1971/72 |
163 |
571 |
28.5 |
|
1972/73 |
200 |
663 |
30.2 |
|
1973/74 |
253 |
798 |
31.7 |
|
1974/75 |
314 |
1,037 |
30.3 |
|
1975 |
479 |
1,331 |
36.0 |
|
1976 |
584 |
1,664 |
35.1 |
|
1977 |
667 |
1,952 |
34.2 |
|
1978 |
801 |
2,400 |
33.4 |
|
1979 |
997 |
2,903 |
34.3 |
|
1980 |
1,349 |
3,702 |
36.4 |
Notes
(i) The Public Service Pay figures used in these calculations cover the pay of civil servants. Defence Forces, Garda Síochána, teachers and — since 1975 —all staff in the Health Services. The pay figures used do not include the pay element in grants to State-sponsored bodies and universities.
(ii) Pay in the Health Services: From and including 1975. Public Service Pay has been reclassified to include all pay in the Health Area; previously the pay element in grants to Voluntary Hospitals and Homes was not classified as Public Service Pay.
(iii) The Financial Year was converted to a calendar year basis effective from 1 January 1975.
(iv) The 1974/75 Government Expenditure figure used in these calculations was derived by combining expenditure for the interim financial period April-December 1974 with returns for the January-March quarter of 1975. The Public Service Pay figure used for 1974-75 is the Budget Pay Estimate which was prepared for the year 1974-75.
(v) Budget Out-turn figures are shown in all cases, with the exception of data relating to 1974-75. 1980 figures are still provisional.
(vi) Current Government Expenditure figures are as set out in Table 2 of the Pre-Budget Tables. From and including 1976, these figures have been revised to reflect the reclassification in 1981 of certain expenditure items as capital — see the note on Table 2 of the 1981 Pre-Budget Tables.
158.
andMr. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will give a full breakdown of the £137 million increase in public service pay costs in 1980 which arose from special pay increases granted in 1980.
The following is the breakdown of the increase in 1980, over 1979, of £137 million in public service pay costs which is attributable to special pay increases.
|
£ms |
|
|
Employees in the health area |
97 |
|
Post Office grades |
14 |
|
Other Civil Service grades |
12 |
|
Teachers |
10 |
|
Defence Forces and Garda |
4 |
|
137 |
159.
asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will state, in amplification of his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 38 of 29 January, 1981 that public service pay costs increased by £352.7 million in 1980, of which £151 million was due to national pay agreements and £137 million to special pay increases, the reason for the remaining increase in public service pay costs of £64.7 million.
The difference between the total increase in 1980 over 1979 of £352.7 million and the estimated costs of general and special pay increases at £288 million is accounted for as follows:
|
£m |
|
|
(a) Exceptional savings in 1979 due to P&T dispute and consequential slowdown in recruitment |
23.0 |
|
(b) Increased numbers in 1980 as well as carryforward effects of posts created in 1978 and 1979 |
34.0 |
|
(c) Miscellaneous costs of overtime, employer's PRSI contributions, increments, allowances etc. |
7.7 |
|
(d) Total |
64.7 |
160.
andMr. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Public Service the total cost of public service pay in 1979, 1980 and the estimated cost in 1981.
The total cost of public service pay (that is the pay of civil servants, teachers, Garda, the Defence Forces and employees of Health Boards) in 1979 was £996.6 million and the cost in 1980 (provisional) £1,349.3 million.
The Estimates provision for public service pay in 1981 is £1,535.7 million. In my budget speech I allocated a further sum of £80 million "to cover any increase in pay and pensions for which provision has not already been made in the Estimates Volume".
161.
andMr. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Public Service the method and criteria of determination of special pay increases in the public service; the grounds on which each such increase was granted in 1980; if he will give a list of the special pay increase claims now lodged; the total annualised cost of each claim as lodged, in so far as a figure has been specified; if any offer has been made by the official side in any case; and the total annualised cost in each such case.
Special pay increases in the public service are processed within the framework of the conciliation and arbitration schemes covering most groups in the public service and in conformity with the relevant criteria laid down in national agreements on pay. All increases granted in 1980 were in accordance with these criteria. I regret that I am not in a position to reply to the third part of the question as the compilation of the information which would be necessary would involve an inordinate expenditure of staff time both in my Department and other Departments which could not be justified in present circumstances. As far as the fourth and fifth parts of the question are concerned, the information cannot be made available as the provisions of the various conciliation and arbitration schemes require that the information sought be treated as confidential to the parties to the schemes.
162.
andMr. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Public Service the cost to the Exchequer of special pay increases granted in 1980, and the estimated cost for 1981 and 1982.
The estimated cost to the Exchequer in 1980 of special pay increases granted in 1980 was £150 million. This figure includes the increased cost of £137 million attributable to special pay increases of public service pay and pensions (that is the pay and pensions of civil servants, Defence Forces, Garda, teachers and employees in the health area) in addition to the amounts included for pay in grant-in-aid to certain State bodies and colleges. It is not possible at this stage to predict the cost of special pay increases in 1981 and 1982. In my Financial Statement I allocated a provisional sum of £80 million to cover any increases in pay and pensions in 1981 for which provision had not already been made in the Estimates Volume.