As the Deputy is no doubt aware, in October of last year I appointed the following members of the Public Service Pay Commission:
- Mr. Kevin Duffy (Chair)
- Ms Marian Corcoran
- Mr Ultan Courtney
- Ms Ruth Curran
- Mr Noel Dowling
- Dr Seán Lyons
- Mr Peter McLoone
These individuals bring a wealth of industrial relations and economic experience.
Following Labour Court Recommendations (CD/16/321 & CD/16/322) I announced a two-phased approach to securing the future of collective pay agreements: Phase 1 to address anomalies arising from the recommendations; and Phase 2 to negotiate a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.
The Public Service Pay Commission did not provide advice on the measures taken last week under Phase 1 to support the continued viability of the Lansdowne Road Agreement in 2017. These were solely to correct anomalies arising from the Labour Court Recommendation.
Preparatory work for Phase 2 has commenced, with parties making submissions to the Public Service Pay Commission. An initial report from the Commission is expected in Q2 2017. This report will provide inputs on how the unwinding of FEMPI legislation can be best managed in light of:
- The evolution of pay trends in the public and private sectors based on published data;
- A comparison of pay rates for identifiable groups within the public service with prevailing non-public sector market rates
- International rates and comparisons where possible;
- The state of the national finances
Once this report is available, the Government intends to initiate negotiations on a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement ahead of Budget 2018 considerations.
