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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 19 Nov 2002

Vol. 557 No. 4

Written Answers. - National Wage Agreement.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

447 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reasons for the delay in paying the national wage agreement increase which was due on 10 October 2002 to Dúchas employees; when this increase will be paid; and the reasons the payment of wages directly to the bank accounts of employees has not been put in place in spite of the request being made by those employees in January 2002. [22169/02]

Payment of the 4% increase under the third phase of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) is conditional on the achievement of specific performance indicators, as provided for under the Government's modernisation programme for the public service.

Achievement of targets is subject to verification under the independent quality assurance mechanism established under the PPF. Following the transfer of heritage functions to my Department, arising from the formation of the present Government, a short but unavoidable delay occurred in implementing this pay increase for non-established staff. Instructions to pay the increase, effective from 1 October, have issued to local pay centres and it is anticipated that payment will be made to all staff from the 28 November 2002.

The trade unions representing non-established staff have, for some time, been seeking the introduction of electronic money transfer "Paypath" to allow payment of wages to their members' bank accounts. Until now the systems in use did not permit this facility. However, with the recent introduction of improved computer software this can now be facilitated. A recent pilot project has been used to successfully test the system. All staff have been invited to join "Paypath" and their responses are now awaited.

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