Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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49. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if all Government cleaners, service officer, service attendants and linked grades at all points of their pay scales are in receipt of a payment that is above the living wage considering that the Low Pay Commission has established an hourly rate of €12.30 per hour and this is defined as the minimum income necessary for a single adult in full-time employment to meet their basic needs and afford an acceptable standard of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18431/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is important that Ireland’s statutory National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage concept are not confused. The Living Wage has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement. It currently stands at €12.90 per hour according to the Living Wage Technical Group document 2021.

The National Minimum Wage is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis. The Low Pay Commission annually assesses the appropriate level of the National Minimum Wage. The current national minimum hourly rate of pay, since 1 January 2022, is €10.50 per hour, as set out in the National Minimum Wage Order 2021. All civil servants are paid at rates above the National Minimum Wage.

The suggested Living Wage at €12.90 per hour based on the Civil Service 37 hour standard net working week equates to an annual salary of €24,905.50. Detailed data on civil service staff indicates that only 0.1% of staff (FTE) in the civil service are on salary points less than the suggested Living Wage. This includes those on point 1 of both the Services Attendant salary scale and the Services Officer salary scale, as well as points 1 to 3 of the Cleaner salary scale.

Those currently on an annual salary of less than €24,905.50 may be receiving remuneration in excess of the suggested living wage through additional premium payments in respect of shift work or atypical working hours. In addition, these salary scales progress to the suggested Living Wage and above through normal incremental progression.

The current public service agreement is Building Momentum - A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022. This Agreement is weighted towards those at lower incomes with headline increases of approximately 5% for the lowest paid public servants.

The Agreement provides for the following pay adjustments:

- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 1% or €500, whichever is greater, on 1 October 2021.

- The equivalent of a 1% increase in annualised basic salaries to be used as a Sectoral Bargaining Fund, in accordance with Chapter 2 of the Agreement, on 1 February 2022.

- A general round increase in annualised basic salaries for all public servants of 1% or €500, whichever is greater on, 1 October 2022.

These groups will also benefit more from other measures in the Agreement including the overtime rates and premia payment adjustments.