Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleague, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and others, I fully support this Bill. I will be brief because I am up against the clock. I acknowledge the Minister is in the Chamber to hear our contributions.

When the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, FEMPI Act was introduced, it was a difficult time in this House, nationally and for the people who suffered as a result of it. Any measure that supports the reinstatement of public service pay must be welcomed. We must welcome this legislation in light of all the different sectors that will be positively affected by it. I refer to the teachers, local authority staff, nurses, gardaí and so on. They have come through a very difficult time. We must put whatever we can back into their pockets through salary increases. This Bill is welcome in that regard.

I have met a number of different groups in this regard, particularly teachers in the case of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, who have found it extremely difficult in recent times, particularly regarding the way in which their pay scales have been dealt with, on foot of which teachers who are equally qualified and do the same job now find they are on different pay scales. That can be very disheartening for individuals in the workplace and in general and it creates an atmosphere across all divides and all sectors. It is critically important to rectify those inadequacies and to have public service pay reinstatement and increases put in place as quickly as possible, which will also help those people in terms of the cost of living. Currently, if people in any those sectors are trying to rent a property, never mind purchase one, it is impossible to for them to do so because of the situation in terms of their salaries, which will not even allow them to rent in places like Kildare or in areas outside the Dublin commuter belt. Therefore, the legislation is very important. An advantage of it is that will attract our qualified professionals back home to assist in filling the vacancies we find difficult to fill. We must look upon the Bill as positive in that regard.

I fully support the Bill. I acknowledge the sacrifices that have been made by people in the public service, and I welcome the pay reinstatement and salary increases for them. However small it will be, it is a step in the right direction, and it must be welcomed.

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