Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:486. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated full year cost of repealing the FEMPI legislation. [41221/21]
View answerTuesday, 27 July 2021
Questions (486)
Written answers
The phased unwinding of the Financial Emergency legislation commenced under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 and will be completed under the Public Services Pay and Pensions Act 2017 and the Public Service Pay Act 2021.
On 1 July 2021, under Section 19 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, pay restoration for all public servants with annualised salaries up to €150,000 was completed. This brought the proportion of public servants whose salaries have been fully restored up to 99%.
By 1 July 2022, Section 20 of the Act provides for the completion of FEMPI restoration for public servants with annualised basic salaries of more than €150,000.
The estimated full year cost of these measures is approximately €87m, based on public service numbers for Budget 2021.
Each year, under the terms of the FEMPI Act 2013, I am obliged to carry out an annual review of the operation, effectiveness and impact of the FEMPI Acts, having regard to the overall economic conditions in the State and national competitiveness. In this annual review, I am also to consider whether or not any of the provision of the relevant Acts continue to be necessary having regard to the purposes of those Acts, the revenues of the State and State commitments in respect of public service pay and pensions.
The 2021 annual review, a written report of which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in June 2021, recommended the continuation of the unwinding of the FEMPI measures in line with the legislation.