Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2022
248. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which any outstanding matters arising from FEMPI have been concluded or are in course thereof; if groups throughout society with increasing dependence on the satisfactory outcome of FEMPI restoration are satisfied with progress on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56680/22]
View answerThe process of unwinding the Financial Emergency (FEMPI) legislation commenced under the Lansdowne Road Agreement 2016-2018, with the remainder of the process continuing under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 (PSSA) and ‘Building Momentum: A New Public Service Agreement, 2021-2022’.
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 2022 annual review, a written report of which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 28 June 2022, recommended the continuation of the unwinding of the FEMPI measures in line with the provisions enacted in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act, 2017. Since publication of the annual FEMPI report, in line with section 20 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, public servants with annualised basic salaries above €150,000 were restored with effect from 1 July 2022, with the result that all public servants have had their salaries restored.
