Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, following the newly elected French President's decision to significantly reduce his own pay and the pay of those in his Cabinet; if he intends to review the salaries of the Taoiseach, Ministers and Ministers of State. [28254/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The French President's decision to reduce his own pay and that of his Cabinet mirrors the precedent set by this Government on entry into office in March 2011.

The Deputy will be aware that 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 gross annual salaries now applicable to An Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Ministers and Ministers of State amount to €200,000, €184,405, €169,275, and €130,042, respectively. The gross salaries indicated are inclusive of the pay element for a Deputy amounting to €92,672. Since 2008 the effect of reductions in pay and taxation changes is that the net salaries of the Taoiseach and Ministers have been reduced by over 40%.

I have no plans at present to review the current arrangements.