Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 197: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the amount of the pay increase paid to An Taoiseach and to each of the members of the Government as a result of the interim increase recommended in Report No. 40 issued by the Review Body in 2005; the increases that were payable to the members of the Government under all other agreements in the period 2000 to 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32419/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The tables that follows this reply list the pay rates in place in 2000 and all subsequent pay increases — those arising from national wage agreements, recommendations of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and recommendations of the Benchmarking Body — for the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Ministers and Ministers of State. Report No. 40 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector recommended an interim increase of 7.5% for the posts and grades within the ambit of its terms of reference. The Government decided to implement the increase on a phased basis, one half from 1 July 2005 and the balance from 1 January 2006. Report No. 38 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector recommended that the salary of a TD should be set at the ordinary maximum of the grade of Principal (standard) in the civil service and should be revised for the future on that basis. Following implementation of this recommendation the salary of TDs in no longer examined by the Review Body. The salaries of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Minister and Minister of State are made up of two elements: the office holder's salary plus the Deputy's basic salary. While the Deputy's element of the salary is determined in the manner set out above the office holder's element is examined from time to time by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration. The office holder's salary does not attract increases recommended by the Public Service Benchmarking Body.

The interim increase under Report No. 40 of the Review Body only applied to the office holder's salary while the increase under the Public Service Benchmarking Body only applied to the TD's salary.