Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if incremental credit will be awarded to assistant and executive planners, as well as cognate professionals, within local government and analogous grades in the public service more widely given that incremental credit has been made available to other professionals; if all postgraduate experience will be allowed to qualify for incremental pay with no deductions as per Circular 08/2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49508/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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It was agreed previously by Government that with effect from 1st January 2011, starting pay on recruitment from open competition for all posts within the public service should be at the minimum of the relevant salary scale.

My Department issued Circular EL 02/2011 to all Chief Executives in the Local Government sector, following receipt of the Department of Finance instruction. Circular EL 02/2011 provides that all future competition notices, advertisements and information booklets must specify that, for persons entering a recruitment grade for the first time, starting pay will be at the minimum of the scale. Such notices and booklets must also specify that the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

The provisions of the Circular state that no undertaking, formal or informal, should be given by or on behalf of any local authority to a candidate that the relevant salary may be negotiable.

However, where a Chief Executive is of the view that there are exceptional circumstances justifying the offer of starting pay above the minimum, the specific sanction of my Department (in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) should be sought in advance of any offer being made.

This policy is still in force, as are the provisions of Circular EL 02/2011. Should a local authority employee have queries in this regard, they should contact the HR Department in their local authority.