Olivia Mitchell
Question:136 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if members of staff working in Departments will be given overtime payments owed to them prior to Christmas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20784/02]
Written Answers. - Overtime Payments.
I can supply the Deputy with information in respect of my Department and those Departments and offices which are paid through the salaries section of my Department on an agency basis, that is, the Office of the President, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Civil Service Commission, the State Laboratory, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
To complete payroll processing, including detailed end-of-year tax procedures, and to ensure that staff are paid on time over the Christmas and new year holiday period, Monday, 25 November is the last date by which payroll adjustments, including overtime payments, can be included for payment in 2002. All the Departments and offices listed above have been notified of this date. Hence overtime claims notified to my Department by Monday, 25 November 2002 will be paid in 2002 on either 13 or 19-20 December. Any overtime notified after Monday, 25 November will be paid at the first opportunity in the new year. This has been the practice for the past number of years.
One other effect of these early deadlines for the Christmas and new year holiday period is that weekly paid staff are paid in advance in December, that is, the payroll payments due on 20 December and 27 December will each be paid one week in advance.