Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
279. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 216 to 219, inclusive, of 29 May 2018, if a matter (details supplied) will be addressed regarding the calculation of the cost of equalising pay. [25191/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the answer to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 216 to 219, inclusive, of 29 May 2018 the estimated €195m-€200m cost is annualised based on an assumed increment date of 1 January to give the full year cost of the measure.
However, individual increment dates vary considerably across the year, with some grades and/or sectors recruiting in cohorts (garda, defence and education) which can considerably skew the data.
In addition salary scales are not consistent across grades and sectors. As a result, the interaction between the number of public servants, their point on scale, increment dates and the actual increment jump has a significant impact on costs.
As a consequence it would be wrong to assume a straight 50/50 split over two years. For example for someone with an increment date of March: 83% of the cost falls in year 1 with the remaining 17% forming a carryover cost in year 2.
Again, as previously stated, the necessary information to provide an estimate of costs associated with a phased implementation is not currently available to my Department.
Since the publication of the report, IGEES economists in my department, in support of the discussions between the parties, have engaged in further work to assess and model the potential budgetary implications and impacts through phasing of the overall quantum.
This work is currently on-going.
