The position regarding the remuneration of the Assistant Secretary Grade was considered by Cabinet on 9 December 2009 in the context of its discussion on the draft legislation providing for reductions in public service pay. It was recognised that the draft legislation could allow the particular circumstances of the grade to be addressed although no decision was taken on the manner in which this might be done.
Section 6 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009, which came into force on 21 December 2009, provides that the Minister for Finance may by direction exempt or vary the application of the pay reductions provided for in the Act to public servants or groups of public servants in certain limited circumstances. On 22 December, 2009, I formally directed under Section 6 that in the reduction of salary for the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary grades in the civil service, and for certain public service grades related to the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary grades, account should be taken of the termination of performance related pay.