Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2017
154. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which all bodies throughout the public sector, through reform or otherwise, are being rewarded through FEMPI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53939/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra159. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he expects those sectors and unions throughout the public sector to benefit from FEMPI or otherwise from the sacrifices they made during the downturn in the economy with a view to ensuring full restoration within a reasonable period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53944/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 159 together.
Last September the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions endorsed the terms of the recently negotiated extension to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 (PSSA) on pay and reform in the public service.
On Thursday 7 December the Dail passed the Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill, and it now sits before the Seanad for consideration. This Bill provides for the implementation of the terms of the PSSA.
The PSSA will run from 2018 to 2020 by which point pay will be fully restored to all public servants earning up to €70,000 which is equal to almost 90 per cent of public servants. Benefits to different income groups are progressive and weighted towards the lower paid with pay increases ranging from 7.4 per cent to 6.2 per cent over three years.
This Agreement achieves the right balance between addressing the legitimate expectations of public service workers for increases in their pay and ensuring that the Government continues to exercise a prudent approach to the overall management of our public finances while securing industrial peace to support the ongoing delivery and reform of our public services.
The improvements in pay provided for in this Agreement mark another important step in the gradual normalisation of our collective bargaining approach to pay arrangements in the public service through the process of unwinding the FEMPI legal framework on pay that has been in place for the last number of years.
A copy of the Agreement can be found on the Department's website: http://www.per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/LRA-extension.pdf.
