Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The establishment of a public service pay commission to examine pay levels across the public service is a commitment in the confidence-and-supply agreement and programme for partnership Government. In July, the Government agreed, in principle, to the establishment of a public service pay commission. In line with this decision, my Department had to conduct a public consultation about the role and methodology of the commission. In the aftermath, I brought proposals to the Government and they were agreed yesterday. I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the role of Mr. Kevin Duffy in chairing the commission. Mr. Duffy, as a former chairman of the Labour Court, will bring a strong understanding of these matters to his work with the commission. He has been acknowledged as an impartial figure with great expertise in the area.

My plan is to appoint a further six members to the commission in the coming days. The role of the commission will be advisory, particularly as it is not appropriate to outsource to another body negotiations on future pay and conditions of public servants. I expect that the commission will provide an initial report to the Government by the second quarter of next year and the broad terms of reference of the commission, as the Deputy has seen, are to provide input to the Government on how we can deliver the affordable unwinding of the FEMPI legislation. The terms of reference lay out a number of areas in which it can engage regarding: the evolution of pay trends; the comparison of pay trends at home and abroad; and the quality and health of our national finances.

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