Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will confirm that the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Ministers and Ministers of State took a voluntary reduction in pay in March 2011; if he will indicate for each of the positions the salary received before and after the voluntary pay cut; if any of these Oireachtas office holders did not take a voluntary pay cut at this time; if he will name them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4765/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Government decided on taking office in March 2011 to reduce the salaries of An Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Ministers and Ministers of State with immediate effect. The reductions were implemented on a voluntary basis by all relevant Officeholders pending passage of the necessary legislation giving statutory effect to the reductions. Section 6(c) of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Act, 2011 gave a legislative basis to the pay reductions for Office holders from 1 January 2012.

The effect of these reductions is that the gross annual salary of An Taoiseach has been reduced by nearly 30%, from €285,583 in December 2009 to €214,187 in January 2011 to €200,000 in March 2011. The gross annual salary of the Tánaiste has been reduced by nearly 25% from €245,325 in December 2009 to €197,486 in January 2011 to the current rate of €184,405, that of a Minister by nearly 25% from €225,196 in December 2009 to 181,283 in January 2011 to €169,275 and that of a Minister of State by nearly 16% from €154,740 in December 2009 to €139,266 in January 2010 to the current rate of €130,042.