The substantial pay increases awarded to politicians, judges, hospital consultants and top public servants on top of national pay agreements continue to receive widespread negative reaction. Teachers seeking a 30% pay hike themselves are particularly angry.
The Civil and Public Services Union said that the Government decision to implement pay rises of up to 25% for top civil servants over and above the PPF is not justified in current circumstances. Lower paid civil servants are likely to receive only 6% of a real pay increase under the PPF and must wait until June 2002 for any further increases under Benchmarking, according to the CPSU. The salary review body says that public sector salary levels are out of line with the private sector.
The £18m salary hike package was recommended by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and approved by the Government today. The salaries of the Taoiseach, Government Ministers and members of the judiciary will rise by an average of 20%. The pay of Dáil deputies and senators will go up by 18% and 31% respectively.
A Government spokesman said that the increases resulted from the implementation of the benchmarking process agreed under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. These increases will bring the wages of the Taoiseach and the Chief Justice from £114,000 to £140,000. Government Ministers’ pay increases by 20%, bringing their wages to £110,000 whereas TDs' pay rises to £46,000. Senators are getting an £8,000 increase to £32,000. The Garda Commissioner is getting a rise of almost 30% to £110,000 but the Chief of Staff will only get 5% to £90,000.
