Highest-paid public servants in line for 3.5% salary increases under proposed new deal

Senior judges and hospital consultants will be among 4,000 of Ireland’s highest-paid State workers in line for salary increases of 3.5 per cent next year if the proposed public sector pay deal is ratified by unions.

While public servants earning more than €150,000 would be excluded from a 3 per cent backdated increase for 2022 proposed for the broader public sector, The Irish Times understands they will benefit from increases totalling 3.5 per cent due to kick in during 2023.

The proposed level of pay rises would mean that a Supreme Court judge’s salary would rise by an estimated €9,100 to just under €267,000 by the end of next year.

Some of the best-paid hospital consultants could see their salaries rise by about €8,900 to €261,000 while the heads of level-one universities could see a €8,300 increase to about €243,900.

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There are three main rates of pay for secretaries general of Government departments, ranging from €222,911 to €250,000, and those rates could rise by between €7,800 and €8,800 by the end of 2023.

The Irish Times previously reported how the salaries of top judges and doctors’ wages were to rise by more than €20,000 from last July as part of pay restoration to senior civil and public servants stemming from the unwinding of recession-era Fempi (financial emergency measures in the public interest) cuts.

This group of public sector workers paid more than €150,000 — who account for about 4,000 out of 340,000 public servants — will not be getting the last 1 per cent increase due under the existing Building Momentum public sector deal in October.

Nor will they get the 3 per cent increase backdated to February that is on offer in the proposed new public pay deal.

However, they are in line for two increases that would take place in 2023 under the proposed agreement.

These are a 2 per cent increase which would kick in from March 1st, and another 1.5 per cent increase from October 1st next year.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform did not respond to queries on the matter.

The Cabinet signed off on the proposed €1.6 billion public sector pay deal at its meeting on Wednesday.

The Government approval of the proposals drawn up by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) clears the way for the deal to be implemented if it is ratified by unions next month.

Public sector unions have said they will take five weeks to consider the Government’s pay offer before taking a collective decision on October 7th on whether to accept the package which amounts to increases of 6.5 per cent for most public sector workers.

They have warned that a failure to bring in additional cost-of-living measures in the September budget would impact on how workers vote in ballots on the deal.

Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath welcomed the Government approval of the planned public pay deal, which will extend the existing agreement, Building Momentum, to the end of 2023.

He said: “I believe the proposals put forward by the WRC yesterday morning strike the right balance between providing a deal that is fair to public servants in the midst of cost-of-living challenges and one that is sustainable and affordable for the taxpayer.”

Mr McGrath welcomed the recommendation from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions that planned ballots on industrial action be suspended while the proposals are being considered.

He said the proposals will now be considered by workers, with ballots due to take place, and “we must respect the democratic process now under way”.

In other Cabinet business, Mayo TD Dara Calleary was appointed as a junior Minister to replace Robert Troy, who resigned last week. The Cabinet approved the Taoiseach’s nomination of Mr Calleary to the role at the Department of Enterprise. He will take up his new role immediately.