David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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300. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cost of reintroducing public sector allowances for public sector workers in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17687/16]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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301. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cost of ensuring that public sector workers recruited in her Department post-2011 are paid at the pre-2011 rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17697/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 301 together.

The Review of Public Service Allowances and Premium Payments undertaken by the previous administration in 2011/2012 required Government Departments and Public Sector Bodies to provide justifications by way of a stated business case for the retention of allowances and premium payments. Whilst the outcome of the review resulted in the modification/abolition of some allowances across the public sector, the only allowances paid to civil servants in my Department that were abolished were the Delegates'/Chairperson’s allowances paid to Departmental staff who travel outside of Ireland and the UK to represent Ireland at meetings of the EU or other international organisations or who act as Chairpersons of EU Committees. Given that the payment of Delegates/Chairpersons Allowances was entirely related to instances when staff were required to carry out particular Representational/Chairperson’s roles when travelling outside of Ireland, it would not be possible to estimate the cost of re-introducing these allowances. However, I can inform the Deputy that the cost of these Allowances for the last year they were in operation, in 2012, amounted to €73,719.54.

As regards the Deputy’s Question concerning the cost of paying public sector workers recruited in my Department post-2011 at the pre-2011 rate, I would advise the Deputy that in late 2010 the Government approved the reduction by 10% of the salary scale for new entrants to traditional recruitment grades in the public service with effect from 1st January 2011. Insofar as my Department is concerned, the estimated cost of restoring post 1st January 2011 entrants to the pre-2011 pay scale arrangements, including the cost of employers PRSI, across all of the recruitment grades in question, is estimated at €86,000 approximately. The total pay bill for my Department is €49 million approximately.

This costing specifically relates to the 10% reduction in entry grades to the public service as provided for in the aforementioned Government decision and does not take account of any pay reductions imposed as a result of the Haddington Road Agreement.