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

The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 provides for a more comprehensive examination by the Public Service Pay Commission of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in sectors and employment streams of the public service where difficulties are evident.

The Government recently approved the terms of reference for the second phase of work of the commission. Where a difficulty is identified, the commission will examine the full range of causal factors, including matters such as the totality of the current remuneration package, planned future pay adjustments, alleviations from current rates of pension related deductions as provided for in the public service stability agreement and FEMPI unwinding post-2020.

The commission will also look at supply constraints of newly qualified graduates of relevant post-leaving certificate and third-level programmes. It will develop appropriate analytical criteria to ensure a robust evidence-based approach to this exercise. It will look at areas where a global labour market exists as well as the responses being adopted in other jurisdictions where similar recruitment and retention problems obtain.

I met the commission to discuss this matter two weeks ago. I met Mr. Kevin Duffy and the full commission and we had a discussion on this issue and on the terms of reference being set by the Government. Where we have retention and recruitment issues, we want to determine the reasons for that and we discussed the importance of evidence in terms of allowing us to understand it. One of the areas on which we made progress relates to the last piece of work carried out by the commission. The commission published work that was transparent and evidence-based, particularly regarding public pensions. I would be eager that such an approach would be continued in respect of this sensitive area. I understand that, in the first instance, the commission intends to focus on those groups in the health sector that were identified in its first report. It will produce a preliminary report on these issues during 2018 and I anticipate receipt of the final report by the end of 2018, as was envisaged in the agreement.

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