Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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183. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of bringing forward to early 2016 the payment of the pay increase that was due to certain public servants in September 2016 under the Lansdowne Road agreement; the date the payment was made; the number of public servants that benefited from same; the overall cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7911/19]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost arising from the ceasing of the Lansdowne Road agreement early and incorporating it into the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7912/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together.

It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the €1,000 increase in 2017 applicable to public servants on annualised basic salaries up to €65,000 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015. This increase which, under FEMPI 2015, was to take effect from 1 September 2017, was advanced to 1 April 2017 for qualifying public servants:

- those on annualised salaries up to €65,000;

- who are parties to the Lansdowne Road Agreement; and

- who do not stand to benefit from the Labour Court recommendations (CD/16/321 & CD/16/322) issued in respect of the Garda Associations.

The number who qualified for payment was estimated at 256,000 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) public servants and the additional cost arising in 2017 was approximately €120 million.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) covered the period 2016-2018. Therefore the first year of the Public Service Pay Agreement 2018-2020 (PSSA) and the last year of the LRA ran concurrently during 2018. The cost of PSSA in 2018 was estimated at €178 million.