Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he intends to review the higher grade salaries across the public sector including Secretaries General, hospital consultants and senior management. [3792/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Government adopted my proposal in June 2011 for the introduction of:-

· a general pay ceiling of €200,000 for future appointments to higher positions across the public service; and

· a general pay ceiling of €250,000 for future appointments to CEO posts within Commercial State Companies.

Following the outcome to the referendum on remuneration for the Judiciary, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Act, 2011 was enacted. This Act provided for the application of the pay reduction and the pension levy on serving members of the judiciary and provided for reduced remuneration rates for newly appointed judges with effect from 1 January 2012. The Act also made provision to bring certain Office holders (Comptroller and Auditor General and Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála) within the public service pay ceiling and for the reduction of remuneration for future appointees as President and Ombudsman. This legislation also formally provides for the reduction in the salary rates for members of the Government. Ongoing arrangements are being made on an administrative basis to implement the pay ceilings for future appointments where those are subject to administrative sanction.

There are also some 150 academic medical consultants, many of whom would attract salaries in excess of the public service pay cap of €200,000. My colleague the Minister for Health is addressing this issue in the context of his discussions with the representative associations for those public service grades on matters related to the current consultant contract. Having regard to the pay ceiling that now applies, I have no further plans to review the salaries of senior posts in the public sector at this time.