Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on the payment of salaries in the higher education sector above the pay cap for the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11018/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In keeping with Government policy, a salary ceiling of €200,000 will apply to future appointments to senior positions in the higher education sector.

The vast majority of employees in the higher education sector who currently earn more than €200,000 per annum are Academic Medical Consultants, remuneration for whom falls in the main within the remit of the Minister for Health. Any changes to the terms and conditions of these consultants will have to be considered in the context of the Minister for Health's approach towards the remuneration of all medical consultants.

Since becoming Minister for Education and Skills, I have written to the Chairpersons of the University Governing Bodies requesting them to ask those individuals who earn in excess of the pay ceiling of €200,000, other than Academic Medical Consultants, to make voluntary waivers of salary. While two individuals have agreed to make personal arrangements with their employer regarding a deduction of the amount of salary in excess of €200,000, to date there have been no voluntary waivers made for the benefit of the State.

I cannot enforce a voluntary waiver nor can I insist that a waiver, if made, follows any particular format. For example, if an employee chooses to waive a portion of his or her salary in favour of a charity or their employer they are free to do so.