Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the increments made payable to public sector workers within his Department in the years 2010 and 2011; the increments due in 2012 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38362/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I set out below the numbers of staff of my Department who were approved for a pay increment in 2010 and 2011 together with the number of staff who will be due to be considered for the payment of an increment in 2012. The payment of increments is subject to satisfactory performance under the Performance Management Development System (PMDS) and compliance with sick leave regulations. To provide precise figures for the cost of these increments would require extensive work on the part of the relevant sections of my Department, which have limited resources. However, I am providing estimated figures for the costs of increments for the years in question. These estimates have been calculated on the following basis – taking the average increment for the relevant grade multiplied by the number of officers in the grade who were approved for an increment (or in the case of 2012, the number of officers who will fall to be considered for an increment). The estimated costs are on a full year cost basis and on the basis of the staff member working on a full-time basis. However, in reality, increments fall due throughout the year and therefore the costs are not incurred on a full-year basis. Furthermore, a significant number of staff of my Department does not work on a full-time basis. For example, in 2011 over 18% of staff worked on a work-sharing basis and over 12 % worked reduced hours under the Shorter Working Year Scheme. For these reasons, the actual costs of increments in the years in question will be significantly less than the estimated figures provided beneath.

I would also refer the Deputy to the reply of my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to a related question on 10 November 2011 (question no. 99 of 10 November). I note in particular the Minister's point that the cost of increments will reduce in the coming years for several reasons including retirements and the number of employees reaching the maximum of their pay scale.