Written answers
Thursday, 27 September 2018
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Public Sector Staff Remuneration
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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78. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the relevant information in respect of the professional added years schemes pertaining to staff who joined the Civil Service prior to 1993, prior to 1997 and new entrants from 2011 will be provided; if the same information pertaining to staff that joined non-commercial semi-State bodies (details supplied) prior to 1993, prior to 1997, prior to 2005 and new entrants from 2011 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39138/18]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Professional added year's schemes, in both the Civil Service and State-Sponsored Bodies, apply to pensionable employees appointed to a professional, technical or specialist post where the essential requirements specified in the competition (e.g. qualifications / experience / minimum entry age) result in all candidates from the competition being over the age of 25 on appointment.
1. Professional added years schemes which operate in the Civil Service
| Relevant dates | Relevant scheme for assessment of award | Circular |
|---|---|---|
| Retired before 1 January 1993 | - Old Scheme | Circular 11 of 1985: Ad hoc arbitration finding on a claim for the award of added years to certain civil service grades |
| Serving at any time between 1 January 1993 and 31 March 1997 | Staff have a choice between: - Revised Old Scheme - New Scheme | Circular 12 of 1997: Revised schemes for the award of professional, technical and specialist added years to certain civil servants |
| Appointed on or after 1 April 1997 | - New Scheme | Circular 12 of 1997: Revised schemes for the award of professional, technical and specialist added years to certain civil servants |
| Appointed as a new entrant by competition advertised on or after 1 April 2005 | - New Entrant Scheme | Circular 8 of 2005: Public Service Pension Reform: New Scheme for the award of professional, technical and specialist added years to certain entrant staff of the Civil and Public Service |
| Appointed as a Single Scheme member on or after 1 January 2013 | - N/A* | - N/A |
* Please note members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme are not entitled to professional added years.
1. Professional added years schemes which operate in State- Sponsored Bodies
| Relevant dates | Relevant scheme for assessment of award | Circular / Letter to Depts. |
|---|---|---|
| Serving on 1 July 1987 | - Original scheme | Letter to Departments 9 May 1988: Scheme for the grant of “professional added years” for superannuation purposes to staff of State-Sponsored bodies |
| Serving at any time between 1 April 1997 and 31 December 2004. | Staff have a choice between:- Original scheme- Revised scheme | Letter to Departments 19 November 2004: Revised scheme for the award of professional, technical and specialist added years to certain staff of State-Sponsored Bodies |
| Appointed as a new entrant by competition advertised on or after 1 April 2005 | - New Entrant Scheme | Circular 8 of 2005: Public Service Pension Reform: New Scheme for the award of professional, technical and specialist added years to certain entrant staff of the Civil and Public Service |
| Appointed as a Single Scheme member on or after 1 January 2013 | - N/A* | N/A |
*Please note members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme are not entitled to professional added years.
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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79. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of increasing the minimum public sector wage to €11.90 per hour. [39315/18]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The detailed costings sought in this request would require detailed data on the position of staff on each salary scale across the public service and details of the standard working hours per week for each individual grade. This data is not available to the Department.
Pay band data available to the Department indicates that some 96% of all public service staff are on salary points in excess of €25,000 per annum. The suggested wage at €11.90 per hour based on the Civil Service 37 hour standard net working week equates to an annual salary of €22,975.
Data based on Civil Service staff only at the end of June 2018 indicates that only some 1% of staff (FTE) in the Civil Service are on salary points less than €22,975. The estimated cost within the civil service, which is some 11% of the overall public service, would be some €3.9m (Headcount). Based on the above costing, assuming the same wage profile to the wider Public Service, it is estimated that it would cost €35.4m to introduce a minimum wage across the Civil and Public Service.
However it should be noted that any of those currently on an annual salary of less than €22,975 could be receiving remuneration in excess of the suggested minimum wage through additional premium payments in respect of shift or atypical working hours or are on salary scales that progress to the suggested minimum wage through incremental progression.
Furthermore, the pay increases under the new Public Services Stability Agreement 2018-2020: 1% October 2018; 1% for those earning under €30,000 January 2019; 1.75% in September 2019 and 2% in October 2020 will further reduce those earning less than the rate the Deputy has mentioned.
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