Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020
105. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when austerity cuts to public health sector pay will be restored; when pay inequality within healthcare professions will be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36172/20]
View answerThe process of unwinding the Financial Emergency (FEMPI) legislation commenced under the Lansdowne Road Agreement 2016 – 2018 and has been largely been completed under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 – 2020 (PSSA).
The PSSA, which was negotiated in 2017, and the provisions of which were statutorily provided for under the terms of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, allowed for a continued, controlled unwinding of the FEMPI legislation. The unwinding process was progressively weighted towards those at the lower levels of pay (who have seen their salaries increase relative to 2008), and is implemented on a phased basis.
To date, salary rates up to €70,000, which accounts for over 90% of the public service, have been fully restored.
In addition, a Ministerial Order is required to complete FEMPI pay restoration for those public servants whose salary will not be fully restored (those on annualised remuneration greater than €70,000) through the PSSA increases. Under section 19 and section 20 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act, for those covered by the Agreement, the legislation provides for these remaining amounts to be paid no later than July 2022.
All public service health sector workers are covered by the PSSA agreement.
New entrant health sector workers including consultants, recruited since January 2011, also benefited from the agreement on new entrant salary scales reached in September 2018. The main components of this agreement, effective from March 2019, were that New Entrant public sector workers would bypass points 4 and points 8 of the new entrant salary scale.
