Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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89. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the expected duration of the process to determine whether he will accept the recommendations made by a person (details supplied) in the matter of the secretarial assistant remuneration package in the Houses of the Oireachtas scheme for secretarial assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48340/22]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the process that will be employed in ascertaining the merits or disadvantages of accepting the independent review by a person (details supplied) in the matter of the secretarial assistant remuneration package in the Houses of the Oireachtas scheme for secretarial assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48339/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 124 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, a claim by SIPTU in respect of staff employed under the Scheme for Secretarial Assistance has been under consideration at the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission. The staff in question are employed in the Houses of the Oireachtas by individual TDs and Senators. It was agreed to appoint a third party to conduct an independent review of the Secretarial Assistant grade in the Oireachtas Scheme for Secretarial Assistance and, as part of the terms of reference, to formulate proposals for my consideration.

I understand that the report referred to by the Deputy was considered and noted by the Oireachtas Commission at its meeting of 14 September 2022. The report was then sent to me on 28 September by the Ceann Comhairle in his role as Chairman of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.

I intend to give this matter a complete and thorough review, and I will need time to consider the report's contents fully. Working together with my officials I will make my decision in due course.