Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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101. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to fund the circa €50 million cost of the Garda pay deal, following the recommendations of the Labour Court, from within her Department's resources in 2017; the areas in which she plans to make the required savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39737/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the decision by Garda Representative Association and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors members to accept the independent recommendation of the Labour Court which sought to address the concerns that have been articulated in relation to their pay and conditions, the pay and conditions of new recruits, and their access to the statutory dispute resolution bodies. The Recommendation provides for:

- the restoration of the rent allowance of €4,155 per annum to new recruits as of the date of acceptance, the 5 December;

- an increase in the value of the rent allowance by €500 bringing it to €4,655 per annum with effect from 1 January 2017;

- the integration of the rent allowance in the new amount of €4,655 into salary with consequential increases in unsocial hours and overtime payments also with effect from 1 January 2017;

- the introduction of a €15 premium payment per annual leave day to compensate for the uncertainty attaching to the taking of leave by Gardaí.

- the implementation of a long-standing recommendation of the Garda Inspectorate by way of the introduction of paid 15 minute pre-tour briefing or tasking sessions with effect from 1 January 2017.

I can inform the Deputy that arising from recent discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the cost of the recent Labour Court recommendation in relation to Garda pay is being met through a combination of additional exchequer funding and funding from within the existing budgetary allocation for the Justice Vote Group.