Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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76. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the public sector agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22563/15]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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77. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the public sector agreement and increases in pay (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22564/15]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the public sector agreement published is the full agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22565/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 to 78, inclusive, together.

These questions all relate to the recent Labour Relations Commission  proposals for the extension to the Public Service Stability Agreement to 2018, under the title of the 'Lansdowne Road Agreement'.

Following the conclusion of discussions on pay and reform in the public service on 29 May last,  the negotiators on both sides, with the expert assistance of the LRC who oversaw the talks' process, have come forward with a set of proposals to form the basis of a single new agreement, the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which will comprehend the whole public service and will extend the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement to September 2018. It is now a matter for Union and Association members representing the public service workforce to consider and ballot on those proposals. The proposals, should they be ratified by the Unions and Associations, will secure an Industrial Relations framework that will foster and support further productivity and change at the level of the workplace. The proposals also provide for the commencement of the gradual unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest legislation, which was put in place in response to the financial crisis. The partial unwinding of the pay reduction measures imposed on public servants is prudent and sustainable in the fiscal space currently available to Government.

The proposals on pay include a mix of reductions in the Pension Related Deduction (which will not affect the rates of gross pay) and pay increases (which will raise the level of the relevant salary scales). New recruits to the public service will be assigned on the basis of the payscale actually in place at the time. Increases made to pay rates are applied to each relevant salary scale point to the threshold involved, such as the 2.5% increase from 1 January 2016 for those earning up to €24,000. Overtime rates may be impacted where they are a percentage or a multiple of basic scale earnings. It should be noted however that the multiples applicable to overtime rates were reduced under the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement and those reductions are not affected by the new proposed Agreement. Where a payment is at a fixed rate, or a rate not associated with base pay rates, then there will be no consequential impact from any percentage increase in pay.

Subject to agreement by the Unions and Associations on the proposals made, I will bring forward the necessary legislative amendments  to enable  the terms of the Agreement to be implemented from 1 January 2016.