Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Finance the number and value of awards withheld under benchmarking; and the recommendations of the performance verification group in each case. [4704/04]

Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Those prison officer grades which are represented by the Prison Officers' Association are the only Civil Service grades for which increases recommended by the public service benchmarking body have not been approved. The body recommended a total increase of 4% for these grades and one quarter of that increase has been paid with effect from 1 December 2001 in accordance with the agreed amendment to the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. Payment of the 2% second phase of the benchmarking increase and the 3% increase under Sustaining Progress due on 1 January 2004 was subject to a verification process.

The Deputy will be aware that there are industrial relations difficulties in the prison service arising from the proposals to introduce an annualised hours system and to eliminate overtime working. The justice and equality performance verification group has deferred making a decision in regard to the prison officer grades pending ongoing developments in this area.