Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Under Section 17 of the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956, the Minister for Public Expenditure; Infrastructure; Public Service Reform and Digitalisation has a number of responsibilities for the Civil Service including:

• the regulation and control of the Civil Service,
• the classification, re-classification, numbers and remuneration of civil servants, and
• the fixing of the terms and conditions of service of civil servants, and the conditions governing the promotion of civil servants.

The Minister's statutory powers in relation to public servants are set out in several pieces of legislation including the Ministers and Secretaries Acts, as amended, and relevant sectoral legislation. The Ministers and Secretaries Acts, as amended, define the Minister's functions in relation to public expenditure and functions in relation to pay and terms and conditions of public servants.

Within this legal framework, my Department plays a key role in developing budgetary parameters and monitoring overall expenditure in line with the objectives of the Government and agreed fiscal policy. My Department is responsible for the sound management of public expenditure within the overall allocation agreed by Government.

In relation to the terms and conditions of employment applying to public servants, it is important to note that there is no single set of pay or terms and conditions of employment across the public service. Such conditions vary from sector to sector.

The issue which the Deputy raises can have legal, policy and long-term funding implications that have to be considered. These are matters that fall, in the first instance, to be considered by the Minister with responsibility for the sector concerned.