Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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58. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of public servants that are being paid in excess of the Taoiseach’s salary and in excess of the Government’s pay cap; the annual cost of these excess payments over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42846/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Government pay cap was introduced on 21 June 2011 on foot of a Government Decision (S180/20/10/1333) when it adopted a general policy of a €200,000 annual salary pay ceiling for new appointees to Senior Positions across the Public Service. This equalled the then Taoiseach's annual salary of €200,000 which was reduced under the FEMPI Act 2013 to €185,350 from 1 July last, a figure which now acts as the pay cap. Similarly in June 2011, a pay ceiling of €250,000 was adopted for future appointees to CEO positions in the Commercial State Companies.

No formal pay cap existed for the Public Service prior to the June 2011 decision. No employee in the Department of Finance is being paid in excess of the Taoiseach’s salary or in excess of the Government's pay cap.