Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
625. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the full-year cost of making the public sector a living wage employer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13055/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra626. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the full-year cost of making the Civil Service a living wage employer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13056/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 625 and 626 together.
The most recent aggregate data (based on pay bands) available to the Department indicates that some 93% of all public service staff are on salary points in excess of €25,000 per annum. The commonly referenced living wage rate of €11.50 per hour, based on the Civil Service 37 hour standard net working week, equates to an annual salary of €22,203.
Data on Civil Service staff indicates that only approx 4% of staff (FTE) in the Civil Service are on salary points less than €22,203, with the majority of those on points in the range €20,000 to €22,000. The estimated cost within the civil service, which is some 12% of the overall public service, would be €1.6m. Detailed costings in other sectors of the public service would require collation and estimation on an individual sector level, based on detailed data on the position of staff on each salary scale across the public service and details of the standard working hours per week for each individual grade. This detailed data is only available to individual public service employers.
Any of those currently on an annual salary of less than €22,203 in the public service may be receiving remuneration in excess of the suggested living wage through additional premium payments in respect of shift or atypical working hours or may benefit from salary scales that progress to the referenced living wage through incremental progression.
From April 1st, the €1,000 increase in annualised salaries for public servants earning under €65,000 will further increase the numbers of public servants earning in excess of €11.50 per hour and reduce the potential additional cost accruing to the Exchequer from the introduction of a Living Wage.
