Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 Dec 1991

Vol. 414 No. 2

Written Answers. - Wage Increases.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

39 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline (a) the percentage increase in the average private sector weekly wage between 1981 and 1990 and (b) the percentage increase in the average weekly wage in the direct public sector in the same period.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

The information sought by the Deputy on the private sector is not available. Figures are, however, available for increases in average gross weekly earnings in manufacturing industries and these are as follows: 1981, 16.7 per cent; 1982, 12.9 per cent; 1983, 11.7 per cent; 1984, 12.2 per cent; 1985, 8.0 per cent; 1986, 7.5 per cent; 1987, 5.1 per cent; 1988, 4.7 per cent; 1989, 4.0 per cent; 1990, 3.9 per cent.

Comparable data is not available for the direct public sector in the manner requested by the Deputy. However, the following is a crude estimate of the gross cost per capita to the Exchequer of public servants and other groups, such as general practitioners in the general medical service, whose salaries, wages, fees, expenses and allowances were met by the Exchequer in the years in question. Because of the composition of the public service, comparisons between the following figures, and those shown above are not valid.

Year	Year on year increase
	%
1981	21.0
1982	11.9
1983	11.2
1984	7.3
1985	7.6
1986	6.4
1987	3.7
1988	2.0
1989	9.8
1990	9.4

Notes: For the purposes of this calculation, the pay element — excluding pensions — in the Exchequer Pay and Pensions Bill has been divided by the average total numbers of staff employed.

The Exchequer Pay and Pensions Bill covers the actual cost to the Exchequer of the pay and pensions of civil servants, the Permanent Defence Forces, gardaí and teachers and varying amounts are included for pay in grants to health boards and other health agencies, noncommercial state-sponsored bodies and third level colleges. In some cases, such as expenditure classified as pay in the general medical service, corresponding numbers are not readily available for the purpose of calculating an average.

In order to have a consistent series, the pay expenditure for the former Department of Posts and Telegraphs has been excluded in the calculation of the above increases.

Because of the impact of technical factors, i.e., factors other than increases in numbers or pay rates, such as annual increments, on the size of the Exchequer Pay and Pensions Bill, year on year comparisons of the Bill should be treated with caution.