Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the combined total for public sector pay and pensions in each of the past four years; the projected total for each year to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10433/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The figures sought by the Deputy are set out below.

2008 – 2010 figures inclusive are taken from the Appropriation Accounts

2011 figure is the provisional outturn

2012 – 2015 are estimates

In the period from 2008 to 2015 numbers serving in the public service are expected to decline by 37,500 to 282,500.

As this table shows the Exchequer pay bill is set to decline by over €2.5 billion between 2008 and 2015. (When account is taken of the effect of the Pension Related Deduction, PRD, the net saving will be some €3.6 billion.) It should be noted that the €1 billion increase in Exchequer pension costs represents a pensions liability that was due to mature in any event as a result of the normal retirement of staff recruited 30 to 40 years ago and does not represent a new liability for the Exchequer.