Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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89. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount saved by having a lower level of pay for new recruits in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13012/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that in 2011 the Government introduced revised rates of pay for new entrant public servants in order to reduce the Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill. This was one of a range of measures introduced over the period of the fiscal crisis which directly affected the pay of public servants.

Since 2011, it is estimated that approximately €380,000 was saved by my Department as a result of the introduction of lower levels of pay for some recruitment grades. This figure applies to civil service grades in my Department and does not include others agencies under the aegis of my Department, such as An Garda Síochána.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government is currently in the process of establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the public service. The precise structure of such a commission and the technical aspects as to how it would operate have yet to be decided upon by Government and will require broad consultation, including engagement with staff representatives as committed to in the Lansdowne Road Agreement.