Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Continuing the Tánaiste's theme of financial prudence and reasonableness, Government sources have indicated that a salary of up to €300,000 is being considered for the next Garda Commissioner. To say the least, this is well in excess of the current salary of €180,000 for the post which most people would consider a high one. I ask the Tánaiste to think seriously about this proposal. I particularly ask her to consider whether, if it was agreed, it would exacerbate the debate about high pay levels in the public service and impact on public sector pay policy generally at a particularly delicate time.

There is no current review of top level pay in the public sector. The priority, rightly in my view, is the unwinding of financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation rather than a special top level salary increase. The current salary for the position of Garda Commissioner of €180,409 is graded at general secretary level 3, while the top level service payable to anybody in the public service is currently €190,000, which is the salary the most senior Secretaries General and the Taoiseach enjoy. If the salary for the next Garda Commissioner was increased substantially in the way that has been suggested, it is certain that the Judiciary would demand a similar increase for the Chief Justice or members of the Supreme Court and that would spread across the ranks of the senior Civil Service. The ripple effect would continue across all grades. For example, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, has argued that the recruitment difficulties for nurses can only be adequately addressed through pay. The Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, has made much the same point about vacancies both at consultancy level and in general practice. The Government has already committed to a review of recruitment in the health sector. Conceding an increase of this magnitude to the new Garda Commissioner would completely undermine arguments that might be made for all the other sectors who are in a queue to have significant pay increases.

As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I agreed two years ago that a new method of pay and conditions for senior officeholders would be put in place. I did so in response to calls for pay increases from the Judiciary at the time, which the Tánaiste will well remember. I did so deliberately to ensure that no one individual or cohort would be able to unravel public pay policy. Will the Tánaiste advise whether the Government has now abandoned the commitment to a structured mechanism in deciding public pay at top level in the public service? Can she set out clearly for the Dáil the Government's approach to top level pay?

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