Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 March 2018
30. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to provide for pay restoration for persons working for publicly funded organisations that took pay cuts during the economic crisis; his views on whether staff should have their salaries restored on a parallel basis to civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10868/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset let me say, as I have previously stated in this House on this matter, that the commitment, dedication and hard work of these organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector is very much appreciated. These organisations deliver a wide array of much needed support services at community level to a very varied range of users on a day to day basis throughout the year.
The Deputy is aware however that such organisations are private sector concerns in respect of which my Department has not actual corporate responsibility or direct involvement. The staff of such organisations, which may exceed 100,000 in number, are not public servants and as such did not, for example, fall within the application of the FEMPI legislation involving as it did the reduction in pay and increase in pension contribution for public servants. It is correspondingly the case that current public service pay policy does not extend to such organisations.
It will be appreciated that such entities are accordingly self governing and accountable for the management of their own internal financial resources. While it is the case that certain or indeed, in some cases, all of these financial resources may come from government funding it remains the position that decisions on pay expenditure issues arising in such entities are matters that are determined at the discretion of the management authorities of each of the organisations concerned. The issue of pay is just one important challenge within a complex mix of other challenges and demands that the individual organisations concerned are required to decide upon and manage.
Having regard therefore to these circumstances it is a matter for each of these private sector organisations to resolve the financial challenges that they may face in accordance with the financial resources available to them, whatever the source may be of such funding arrangements. If organisations have made changes in payment to their staff during the period of FEMPI cuts taking place for public servants then it is a matter on which those organisations should engage with their staff. The individuals who work in these organisations are not employees of the State and these are therefore not matters for outside parties including my Department to become involved in.
