Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 1

Written Answers. - Civil Service Pay.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

402 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he will eliminate discrimination regarding pay rates to civil servants between those who join from outside the Civil Service and those who work their way up through the Civil Service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1384/02]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

Candidates who are successful in open competition receive a starting salary equal to the minimum of the incremental pay scale in question, irrespective of whether they are already working in the Civil Service or working in outside employment. However, both categories of candidate may, in certain circumstances, receive a starting salary which exceeds the minimum of the pay scale in question. In the case of an existing civil servant, starting pay may be set at existing pay plus an accrued increment, that portion of the current increment which has been earned by or has been accrued by the officer, if such a level of remuneration is more favourable than the minimum of the grade to which the individual is being appointed. This affords a significant protection to the candidate who is already a civil servant in that it at least preserves his-her existing level of remuneration in all circumstances.

Where a prospective appointee is working outside the Civil Service immediately prior to appointment and is not a civil servant, the employing Department may consider offering the candidate a starting salary above the minimum of the pay scale in question provided that such a provision has been made in the conditions of service set by the Civil Service Commissioners for the competition – a provision of this type has been made in the case to which the Deputy refers – the candidate is deemed to have appropriate qualifications and-or experience to merit the payment of additional increments on the pay scale concerned, the candidate can prove that they are currently in outside employment and are being remunerated at some point above the minimum of the incremental pay scale for the position concerned, and the candidate has applied in writing to negotiate their starting salary in advance of accepting their appointment to the Civil Service.

Any higher starting salary which, in compliance with the conditions just outlined, is determined by negotiation between the Civil Service and the prospective appointee, cannot exceed the salary of the individual concerned in their previous employment. Ensuring the appointment of suitability qualified candidates at the most economical rate possible is of critical importance to the employing Departments. Within this overall context, I am satisfied that the existing arrangements afford a significant protection to existing civil servants who are successful in open competition, while at the same time providing a fair and practical framework for dealing with the starting pay of non-civil servant recruits. The limited facility to negotiate a higher starting salary does not confer an automatic entitlement to payment of a starting salary to non-civil servant recruits which is above the minimum of the pay scale. In that light, I do not accept that the rules governing starting pay on recruitment to the Civil Service by open competition discriminate against qualified candidates who are already working in the service.