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

Between 2015 and 2022, the estimated number of workers within our public sector increased by almost one fourth, from 302,000 to 377,311. According to the latest data available, by the end of 2022, public service numbers had increased by 3.1% over the numbers at the end of 2021. The public service is a good employer and continues to offer competitive pay and other terms and conditions to attract and retain staff, including flexible working arrangements, pension provision and secure employment. In the case of recruitment policy for which I have policy responsibility, my Department works closely with the Public Appointments Service and other Departments to achieve the objectives set out by the Civil Service Renewal 2024 Action Plan to ensure that the State remains an employer of choice.

As the Deputy will be aware, discussions took place last year between the parties to the Building Momentum agreement that resulted in a set of proposals put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission to extend Building Momentum for a period of 12 months to the end of 2023, making it a three-year pay agreement. The extension acknowledges the higher than anticipated rates of inflation that have emerged since 2021 and the impact of cost-of-living pressures. Three additional pay adjustments totalling 6.5% were provided for under the extension. The initial Building Momentum agreement provided headline benefits of 3%. With the extension, headline benefits over the lifetime of the agreement amount to 9.5%, or just over 3% per year. Given that this agreement will conclude at the end of 2023, I expect that engagement will get under way in the coming period on the potential for a successor agreement. As is always the case, such an agreement will need to strike a balance between providing for wage adjustments and ensuring we can continue to fund them in an affordable way.

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