Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 73 together. The implementation body established under the public service agreement 2010-14 is charged with driving the implementation of the agreement to maximum effect. The body also undertakes an annual review of the sustainable savings generated from the implementation of the agreement. The first review by the implementation body was published in June 2011.

The implementation body has no role in the review of pay rates in the public service, which is a matter reserved to me as Minister, under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009, as amended. That Act, which imposed a progressive pay reduction on all public servants ranging from 5% to 30% with effect from 1 January 2010, provided that before 30 June 2011 and every year after that the Minister shall carry out a review of the operation, effectiveness and impact of the Act and lay a written report of the findings resulting from the review before each House of the Oireachtas. In the public service agreement, the Government agreed that the statutory review under the Act would take account of the sustainable savings generated from the implementation of the agreement. In the event of sufficient savings being identified in the 2011 review by the implementation body, it was agreed that priority would be given in any review of pay to public servants with annual pay rates of €35,000 or less.

In line with the requirements under the 2009 Act, I completed a review of its operation in June 2011. The report was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 30 June 2011 and has been published on my Department's website. The report concluded that, having regard to the overall economic conditions, national competitiveness and Exchequer commitments in respect of public service pay, the measures put in place by the Act continue to be required. This remains the position pending a further statutory review of the Act in June next.

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