Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
505. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total cost of removing any remaining additional hours imposed on public sector workers as a result of the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41429/22]
View answerAn Independent Hours Body chaired by Kieran Mulvey, former head of the Workplace Relations Commission, and comprising of employer, trade union representatives and independent members was established in early 2021 to assess issues arising in addressing the Haddington Road Hours and to make appropriate recommendations to be applied equitably across all affected grades, groups, categories and sectors. The Independent Body was tasked with reporting their findings by end 2021.
This was an important and complex piece of work as the commitment to review this issue was a key provision of Building Momentum.
The Independent Body recommended that:
- The working week will be restored to pre-Haddington Road Agreement levels in the majority of relevant civil and public service employments with effect from July 1 2022. However, standardised minimum full-time working week of 35 hours net will apply across the public service.
- Working hours for any grade will not be less than the level that applied prior to the HRA.
The Independent Hours Body report states that: "These recommendations effectively conclude any further negotiations to restore pay and other conditions of employment, either imposed by a combination of FEMPI legislative enactments, or agreed through a difficult series of overarching Public Service Agreements addressing pay, pensions, working hours and public service modernisation requirements over the last decade."
Government approved the Independent Hours Body Report last April.
The Independent Hours Body report is available on www.gov.ie.
The costs sought in this request would require detailed data on the standard working hours per week for each individual grade, in each of the relevant sectors. This data is not held in my Department.
