Thousands of public servants including nurses, midwives, prison officers, firefighters, radiographers and craft workers are set for an income boost as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has sanctioned restoration of allowances for certain groups.
However, the payment of the allowances will be conditional on the relevant union signing up to the new public service pay agreement.
Nurses will receive allowances for a midwifery qualification, for being a registered general nurse in the community, a nurse coordinator allowance, a specialist coordinator allowance for nurse tutors, and an allowance for nurses assigned to occupational therapy.
In a statement, the Department said the restoration of the allowances for new entrants was part of a deal made with the INMO last March under the framework of the existing Lansdowne Road Agreement.
It said a number of other issues relating to allowances will be progressed following the negotiation of an extension to the LRA last week.
Prison officers and firefighters are set to receive an increase of €500 in the rent allowance and other salary improvements in line with the gains secured by gardaí under last November's Labour Court recommendation.
The small number of full-time firefighters who are not already receiving the rent allowance will now be entitled to it.
Radiographers working in the Breast Check Unit in the health service will receive a special allowance, while certain technical officers in the Department of Agriculture will receive a Livestock Allowance.
Craft workers in the local authorities, the Office of Public Works, and in the health and education sectors will receive a tool allowance.
The statement from the department stresses that implementation of all the allowances cited is conditional on the unions in question ratifying the new pay agreement.
The statement does not give the costings for implementation of the changes to allowances.
In addition, as yet it is unclear whether the cost of these allowances has been factored into the €880m cost of the new three-year pay deal.
