asked the Minister for Finance whether it is a matter of policy that persons required to act in positions of higher responsibility as a result of vacancies caused by voluntary redundancies in the public service should not be paid the higher remuneration appropriate to the grade in which they are acting; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Public Service Redundancy Scheme.
38.
As a result of the overall cuts in public expenditure which are necessary if we are to get our public finances under control, certain jobs are no longer required. Staff in these jobs are being offered redundancy on a voluntary basis or redeployment to other jobs and there is, therefore no question of replacing them.
In other areas, however, it is necessary, again because of the financial constraints, that numbers and payroll costs be reduced. The early retirement scheme is designed to achieve this reduction and also to provide opportunity for redeployment of redundant staff where appropriate from areas where there is no longer any work for them. It would be totally at variance with the objective of the scheme if the vacancies created by allowing early retirement at significant costs were to be filled by the general upgrading or effective promotion of serving staff.