Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Jun 1965

Vol. 216 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Salary Increases.

22.

Mr. Barry

asked the Minister for Finance whether since the publication of the Estimates for Public Services for the year ending 31st March, 1966 the respective salaries, wages and allowances of departmental secretaries, assistant secretaries and principal officers have been increased; and, if so, if he will state in respect of each Department the revised amount of the present annual salary of each such secretary, assistant secretary and principal officer and particulars of the method by which the amount of each such revised salary, wage or allowance was arrived at.

Mr. J. Lynch

The particulars requested by the Deputy are contained in a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, will be circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Salaries have been increased to the following rates:—

Grade	Department	Revised Annual Rate
Secretary	Finance	B. £5,200
	Agriculture	A. £4,750
	Industry and Commerce	B. £5,025
	Health (a)
	Lands (b)
	Local Government (a)	B. £4,950
	Taoiseach (c)
	Other Departments	A. £4,350
		B. £4,750
Assistant Secretary	Finance (c)	1 on B. £4,950
		3 on A. £4,350
		B. £4,750
	Other Departments	A. £2,895 X 155—3,500.
		B. £3,230 X 155—3,850
Principal	Finance	A. £2,400 X 85—3,040
		B. £2,720×95—3,350
	Other Departments	A. £2,240×77—2,715
		B. £2,575×85—3,045

(a)A former allowance of £230 a year as Local Appointments Commissioner ceased.

(b),, ,, ,, £200 a year as Land Commissioner ceased.

(c),, ,, ,, £230 a year as Civil Service Commissioner ceased.

Allowances have been increased as follows:—

Department	Grade	Nature of Allowance	Revised Rate
Agriculture (Fisheries)	Principal	For acting as a member of the Foyle Fisheries Commission.	£250
Industry and Commerce	Assistant Secretary	Chairman, Labour Court	£500
	do.	Chairman, Fair Trade Commission.	£500
	do.	Part-time member of Industrial Development Authority	£500
	Principal	Chairman of An Cheard Chomhairle.	£250
Social Welfare	Principal	Chief Appeals Officer	£131

The salaries were revised in the light of the finding of the Civil Service Arbitration Board (Report No. 120) on a claim on behalf of higher executive officers. As regards secretaries and assistant secretaries, it was found necessary to make a special adjustment in their remuneration by reference to that of their equivalents in outside employment and, in particular, in State-sponsored bodies. The circumstance that in these bodies the levels of remuneration were substantially higher than those paid to top-ranking civil servants, despite the heavy responsibilities of these officers, had resulted in a marked and undesirable deterioration in their relative positions. The adjustment approved was intended to go some distance to correct this distortion.

The revision of allowances had regard to the finding of the Civil Service Arbitration Board (Report No. 96) on a claim for an increase in certain allowances in the nature of pay on behalf of officers comprehended by the scheme of conciliation and arbitration for the Civil Service.