Judges want Government to fast-track end of two-tier pay

Judges have called on the Government to fast track moves to end the existing two-tier pay structure in place for members of the judiciary.

Judges appointed after January 2012 were paid 10 per cent less than those in place prior to that date. Under new emergency legislation introduced last autumn, the Government intends to phase out this arrangement and unify the pay scales for judges within a two-year period.

However, the Association of Judges of Ireland has urged the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin to bring new members of the judiciary up to the higher salary scale "with immediate effect" .

“In other words, we are urging that they should receive credit for their service to date,” the association said in a letter to the Minister in November.

The president of the association, George Birmingham of the Court of Appeal, urged the Minister to use a section of the new financial emergency legislation which allows for an order to have retrospective effect.

He said the association was pleased that the issue of the two-tier pay structure was being addressed .

Mr Howlin acknowledged receipt of the letter and said he would be in contact again about the issue .

‘Three-point payscale’

“Under the new measures, new appointees to the bench will be put on a three-point payscale so that within two years they can achieve parity with their peers,” Mr Howlin told the Dáil in October.

“This is in keeping with the general measures put in place for new appointees and recent entrants to the public service and as such addresses an inequity in terms of the remuneration of judges.”

Last year Mr Howlin said a new system for reviewing top level pay in the public service, including that of judges, would have to be put in place in the future.