The consultation period in respect of the draft Statutory Instruments (SIs) for the Regular Wages Scheme ended on 28 February 2022 and I can confirm that 4 submissions were received. However, as the Deputy will appreciate, under GDPR requirements, I am obliged to treat the details of the persons or bodies who made these submissions confidentially, and as such I am not in a position to share them.
As set out in my previous reply on this matter, officials in my Department are currently examining the submissions received. Upon completion, a report will be submitted to me, as Minister, for consideration. Following this, consultation with the Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform will be carried out.
In the circumstances, it is not possible to provide a definitive timeline for finalising the SIs, however I do want to reassure the Deputy that we will seek to finalise as expeditiously as possible.