Politics

Public service staff may receive early €1,000 pay rise

Government is considering bringing forward salary increases after deal with gardaí

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said a process to deal with public service pay anomalies would be completed by the end of January. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons

Martin Wall
Sarah Bardon
Tue Jan 17 2017 - 07:20

Tens of thousands of staff in the public service are set to receive an early pay rise of €1,000 per annum under measures being considered by the Government.

The increase was due to be paid to public servants next September under the terms of the Lansdowne Road agreement.

However, payment seems likely to be brought forward to the end of March or beginning of April as part of a new deal aimed at addressing “anomalies” arising from last year’s €50 million pay agreement for gardaí.

On foot of the Garda deal, which will see members of the force receive increases amounting to about €4,000 per year, other public service unions maintained this was far more than their members who had stayed within the confines of the Lansdowne Road agreement would receive in 2016.

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The Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, responded by saying a process to deal with these anomalies would be completed by the end of January.

Talks on further increases under a successor agreement to the Lansdowne Road accord are likely to get underway after Easter after the new Public Service Pay Commission finishes its work.

Anomalies

Talks between Government representatives and a number of senior trade union leaders have been under way for a number of weeks aimed at dealing with the “anomalies” issues.

A formal memo has not been included on the official agenda for Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Government Buildings, but Mr Donohoe is expected to brief Ministers on the details of the these talks.

It is understood he informed some of his Fine Gael’s colleagues about the measures on Monday.

The public service committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is to meet on Tuesday morning to consider an update on the talks with Government representatives.

Accelerating the payment of the planned €1,000 flat rate pay rise for public servants earning less than €65,000 will cost between €25 million and €35 million for every month it is brought forward.

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