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Public Sector Pay

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 November 2016

Thursday, 24 November 2016

Questions (19, 30, 31)

Paul Murphy

Question:

19. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the demands by trade unions for increased pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36541/16]

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Ruth Coppinger

Question:

30. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the demands by the trade union movement for increased pay and an end to pay inequality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36540/16]

View answer

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

31. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way in which he is managing the current public sector industrial relations environment; his plans to address the concerns of unequal pay for unequal work in addition to addressing pay restoration before the expiration of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36365/16]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 30 and 31 together.

The Government remains committed to the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) as the Collective Agreement in place with the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and other associations representing public servants. The Agreement provides for sustainable pay increases through adjustment of the existing measures under the Financial Emergency (FEMPI) measures legislation.  The estimated cost of the implementation of the LRA is €267m in 2016, €290m in 2017, €287m in 2018 or a cumulative €844m out to 2018. This represents a considerable investment by the Government in negotiated pay increases for public servants.  Any further adjustment measures under FEMPI  will be collectively negotiated with the relevant union interests at the appropriate time and will have to be sustainable and affordable.   

The 10% reductions in starting pay for certain new entrants were introduced by the then Government in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill. Terms and conditions of employment for public servants are also set by reference to legislation including the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts and through negotiation and agreement under Collective Agreements such as the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) and the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA). 

The issue of addressing the difference in incremental salary scales between those public servants, who entered public service employment since 2011 and those who entered before that date was addressed with the relevant union interests under the provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement. Any further consideration of remuneration adjustment for any group of public servants, including issues relating to more recently recruited public servants, fall to be examined within the provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement.  The Agreement provides the framework and is flexible enough to address particular sectoral issues such as the restoration of supervision and substitution payments and new entrant payments in the Education Sector and the restoration of rent allowances to new entrant firefighters and members of An Garda Síochána.

Questions Nos. 20 to 22, inclusive, answered orally.
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