I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 to 364, inclusive, together.
The Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) begins the process of unwinding the financial emergency measures in a prudent and sustainable fashion thereby reducing the risk to the sustainability of the public finances.
Under the terms of the Agreement for the majority of public servants, there is a significant reduction, weighted in favour of the lower paid, of the pay cuts imposed under the 2009 FEMPI legislation. These come in the form of increases in gross pay in 2016 for those on lower pay (up to €31,000) and in 2017 for all on pay up to €65,000.
For any public servant whose annualised salary is below €24,001 there was an increase in gross pay of 2.5% from 1 January 2016. For those on annualised salaries between €24,001 and €31,000 there was an increase in gross pay of 1% from 1 January 2016. For all those on annualised salaries up to €65,000 there will be an increase in gross pay of €1,000 from 1 September 2017.
On 1 January 2016 the exemption threshold for payment of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) was increased to €26,083 per annum and on 1 January the exemption threshold for payment of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) will increase further from €26,083 per annum to €28,750 per annum.
The Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) included commitments to restore the pay of those serving public servants who took an additional pay cut in 2013.
These measures are being implemented under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 with effect from 1 January 2016 at a full year cost of €844m to 2018. Provision has also been made for an amelioration of the PSPR for public service pensioners at an additional full year cost of €90m in 2018.
The Agreements and FEMPI legislation are available on my Department's website at http://www.per.gov.ie/public-service-pay-policy/.