Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 2 February 2022
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised)
Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source
We also see that one staff member is going to be earning €298,000. We are aware of that. The point here specifically relates to that €81,000 pay increase. I must say it is concerning that there is no clarity out there as to whether the lack of a waiver of that €81,000 applied last year as well as this year. I am fully aware of the public service stability agreement and the situation around it. The point here is that we have a situation where somebody is earning €298,000. I would be interested to hear if the Minister is concerned there will be further pay claims from other senior and top civil servants. One Minister has said that the €81,000 increase was fundamental and was needed to recruit somebody. Nobody is suggesting the process was not correct. We are talking about the €81,000. We are not suggesting that the person who is in place should not be in place. The point is that we are seeing an €81,000 increase for one particular role. Does the Minister think that as a result of all this, there will be further pay claims from top civil servants who will argue they are just as fundamental as the person in the role of Secretary General of the Department of Health?
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