Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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34. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the punishment clauses underpinning the recent pay agreement will be removed from legislation in order that some teachers are not discriminated against in terms of pay increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2333/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill 2017 was published on 9 November 2017 and it gives effect to the provisions of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, which was approved by Government in June and was ratified by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) in September.

The Act was passed by the Dáil on 7 December 2017 and signed into law by the President on 16 December 2017. The legislation distinguishes between public servants who are covered by the agreement and public servants who are not covered by the agreement. It provides a nine month delay in pay increases for public servants who are not covered by the Agreement. This issue was debated extensively in both Houses of Oireachtas.

The legislation allows ICTU to provide umbrella confirmation of coverage on behalf of its affiliate unions. Importantly, while individual unions have voted to reject the agreement, the PSSA has been accepted by a majority vote of the Public Services Committee of ICTU.

Accordingly ICTU has now notified the WRC of its assent to be bound by the terms of the agreement, therefore provisions applicable to non-covered public servants will not arise for members affiliated to ICTU, including members in the teachers unions.