Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Jul 1990

Vol. 400 No. 9

Written Answers. - Temporary Executive Engineers.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

175 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that temporary executive engineers employed by local authorities are paid at the lower scale of assistant engineer and pay class A social welfare contributions; that in the event of being subsequently appointed to full executive engineer status they then must pay retrospective superannuation contributions for the temporary period which is now 5 per cent of gross salary; his views on whether this is fair and equitable; and the action he proposes to take to rectify this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Flynn)

I am not aware that temporary executive engineers employed by local authorities are paid at the lower scale of assistant engineer. The normal practice with temporary appointments in local authorities is that appointees are paid the minimum of the salary scale of the office to which they are appointed. All temporary officers of local authorities pay PRSI at the Class A rate. The position whereby local authority staff becoming pensionable must pay for earlier temporary service is a feature common to public sector schemes generally. Since the service counts in full for superannuation purposes the requirement that contributions be paid based on the pay which was received during the period of temporary service and not on current rates of pay is considered to be fair and equitable.