Public Service Pay Policy
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has responsibility for the development and implementation of Government public service pay policy.
Currently the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts of 2009 and the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 (Croke Park Agreement) define current pay policy, within the context of meeting the requirements to reduce the overall public service paybill over 2011 in line with the commitments made in the Memorandum of Understanding with the EU/IMF.
Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009
The purpose of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 was to introduce a number of financial emergency measures in the public interest. These measures were the making of a new deduction from the remuneration of public servants who are members of a public service pension scheme or who are entitled to a benefit under such a scheme or receive a payment in lieu of membership; provisions to allow public bodies to reduce the professional fees paid by them to external service providers; changes in the early childcare supplement and in the Farm Waste Management Scheme.
The Act is available here
Section 13 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 obliges the Minister for Finance to carry out a review of the operation, effectiveness and impact of this Act, having regard to the overall economic conditions in the State and national competitiveness. The latest report of the findings of the review relating to the pension levy is available here
Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Act, 2009
This Act provided for reductions in public service pay with effect from 1 January 2010. The rate of reduction varied by salary level but amounted to an average of around 6.5%.
The Act is available here.
Section 7 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No.2) Act 2009 obliges the Minister for Finance to carry out a review of the operation, effectiveness and impact of this Act, having regard to the overall economic conditions in the State and national competitiveness. The latest report of the findings of the review relating to the reductions in pay is available here
Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 (Croke Park Agreement)
In 2010 the Croke Park Agreement covering the period 2010-2014 was reached with the Public Services Committee of ICTU as well as the representative Garda and Defence Force Associations (who may not be members of ICTU).
The Agreement is available here.
Exchequer Pay Bill
Details of the Estimated Exchequer Pay Bill are published in the Revised Estimates for Public Service 2011 which is available here.
