Vol. 527 No. 4
134 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Finance if he will report on the percentage increase in the pay bill given to the following categories of public servants under the PCW local bargaining clause; (i) gard, (ii) nurses, (iii) prison officers, (iv) teachers, (v) executive officers; and the way in which the maximum of the scale of each of the above grades has changed in percentage terms. [28901/00]
The PCW settlements agreed with the five groups mentioned by the Deputy were all negotiated under clause 2(iii)A of Annex 1 to the PCW pay agreement. Settlements under this clause were intended to address claims for improvements in pay and conditions in the context of flexibility, change, savings and quality of service.
PCW settlements under clause 2(iii)A tended to be very complex and to differ widely in their structure. Among the elements included in various agreements were basic salary adjustments, shortening of salary scales, selective upgradings, promotions and long service increments, and increased allowances. By way of example, the teachers settlement provided for an early retirement scheme, the elimination of one point on the scale, a new allowance for teachers with long service, increases in the allowances for principals, deputy principals, assistant principals and special duties teachers and an increase in the number of posts of responsibility.
Against this background, a simple comparison of how the maximum of each salary scale changed in percentage terms over a given period would not accurately reflect the nature of the different deals. However, the following summarises the position in relation to the groups concerned. In each case, the addition to the pay bill is the estimated gross additional cost. The PCW terms provided for concessions from staff which would take account of the need for improved efficiencies, flexibility and change and the contribution to be made by employees to such change. Once again, there were significant variations between the different agreements which would have had an impact on the net addition to the pay bill.
The PCW local bargaining agreement for garda added about 12% to the Garda pay bill. The maximum point on the Garda scale was adjusted and extended by the addition of a long service increment payable after a further five years. This resulted in increases ranging from 9% to 14%, depending on length of service, over the former maximum point.
The February 1997 PCW settlement for nurses had an estimated cost of about 14.5% in annual terms. The maximum point on the staff nurse scale was adjusted and extended by the addition of a long service increment payable after a further three years. Taken in conjunction with an earlier increase of 1% at all points of the scale, this resulted in increases ranging from 13% to 17%, depending on length of service, over the former maximum point.
