Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jun 1998

Vol. 493 No. 3

Written Answers. - Programme for Competiveness and Work.

Richard Bruton

Question:

242 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance whether he has received a claim for PCW pay adjustments for secretarial assistants on contract working for Oireachtas Members to include retrospective PCW entitlements; when these revised rates of pay will be payable; when arrears will be calculated and paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15715/98]

Ivan Yates

Question:

251 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance if his Department have received Programme for Competitiveness and Work pay agreement claims submitted in respect of secretarial assistants who are on contract with individual Oireachtas Members; when the revised rates of pay will be applied including the 2.25 per cent due from 1 July 1998; when arrears in some cases due from to 1 December 1995 will be calculated; when these arrears will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16149/98]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 251 together.

The 2.25 per cent referred to by Deputy Yates is a general round increase payable under Partnership 2000. Sanction has been conveyed for the payment of this amount to secretarial assistants and such payments will be included in pay cheques dated 3 July 1998. No arrears are payable in this regard.

In the last week, my Department has received a large number of claims from secretarial assistants who are contracted to individual Deputies and Senators and to political parties for the implementation of a special deal under the terms of clause 2(iii) of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. I have recently agreed to the terms of such a deal, the details of which have been sent to the administrators of the various political parties. Secretarial assistants attached to Independent Deputies and to smaller parties will be contacted separately.

Secretarial assistants will be paid in accordance with the new scale as soon as possible. The payment of arrears, the calculation of which must be carried out manually and requires input from both a personnel and accounts perspective, will take somewhat longer. Discussions are currently under way with those concerned in order to agree when the arrears can be calculated and paid.