‘Superficial political gimmickry’ – some TDs to waive pay rise to €108,000 as revised deal is ratified

An upgraded Building Momentum wage agreement was ratified by union leaders at a meeting at Irish Congress of Trade Unions headquarters in Dublin yesterday.

The €1.6bn review means an extra 6.5pc of increases for public servants.

This is on top of 3pc already paid, bringing the total cost of the three-year Building Momentum deal to €2.7bn.

Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Aontú TDs will not accept the new pay rises.

The increases are due to TDs because their wages are linked to civil servants’.

Peadar Tóibín, of Aontú, referred to the pay rises that will push a TD’s salary up to €108,000 by the end of next year as “obscene” during a cost of living crisis. He said he will donate the waived cash to local organisations like Meals on Wheels.

Former Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry said he will accept the increases and accused some of those declining them as engaging in “superficial political gimmickry”.

“Aontú completely opposes those pay increases for TDs,” said Mr Tóibín. “We oppose the pay increases in the public service for those on over €150,000. We have a serious situation here where significant pay rises are being given to those in the public service without tracking productivity or working out effectiveness or accountability regarding a large range of mistakes that are happening in government.”

He said these include hospital waiting lists and stalled house building, and said the government could change the law to “decouple” politicians’ pay from wage agreements.

Ministers have waived increases in recent years, but government sources indicated that a decision has not been taken on the new hikes

Mr MacSharry said the increases are independently set. He said some individuals may be in a position to refuse them. “I myself am not,” he said. “Waiving an increase puts it back into the domain of politicians setting their own pay, which I don’t agree with. Some who are giving it up are engaging in superficial political gimmickry.”

A People Before Profit spokesperson said its TDs will be donating money from the increases to the Cost of Living Coalition. A Social Democrats spokesperson said its TDs have opted to waive the increase, but it is not a party decision.

Ministers have waived increases in recent years, but government sources indicated that a decision has not been taken on the new hikes.

The Department of the Taoiseach did not respond to a request for comment.

All unions affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions voted in favour of the proposals.

The pay deal will mean a lump sum along with the first additional pay rise of 3pc, because it is backdated to February 2. The lumpsum is expected in November or December.

There will be a further 2pc pay rise from March 1 next and 1.5pc or €750, whichever is greater, from October.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said he was very pleased to see the strong union endorsement for the changes to the pay deal.

“A very wide range of public servants will benefit from these increases including over 42,000 nursing and midwifery staff, 12,000 doctors, consultants and surgeons, 71,000 teachers, 18,000 special needs assistants and 14,000 gardaí,” he said. He said he will bring a memo to government next week to allow circulars to be prepared to facilitate the adjustment of pay scales.