Vol. 534 No. 3
202 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 401 of 20 March 2001, the reason the three grades library assistant, clerical officer and salary rent collector were granted parity from 1 April 2000 while all the other grades were granted parity from 1 June 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10429/01]
Arising from discussions between the Department of Finance and public service unions, it was agreed that long service increments designated as personal to staff in certain grades under programme for competitiveness and work pay restructuring agreements could be regarded as a permanent part of the pay scale structure with effect from 1 April 2000. The relevant grades in the local authority area are those of clerical officer, library assistant and rent collector (salaried) and, in line with instructions from the Department of Finance, local authorities were authorised to apply the relevant increase to pensioners who retired from those grades with effect from 1 April 2000.
