10 June 2004

Circular 17/2004: Revision of pay of Civil Servants
Application of increases under Section 19.18 of Sustaining Progress

A Dhuine Uasail

1. I am directed by the Minister for Finance to convey the following instructions to Departments in relation to the application to the civil service of a pay increase of 2% under Section 19.18 of Sustaining Progress with effect from 1 July 2004.

2. The payment of the 2% increase is dependent, in the case of each Civil Service organisation and grade, on verification of co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change, satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by the Sustaining Progress agreement.

3. The Civil Service Performance Verification Group is at present considering progress achieved. Pending completion of the verification process, the rates contained in this circular are for information purposes only and no increases in pay should be applied in your organisation until further notice.

Classes Affected

4. (a) Subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (b) following, this circular applies to all civil service grades.

(b) This circular does not apply to: -
(i) employees whose pay is related directly to that of workers outside the civil service;

(ii) classes whose pay and conditions are appropriate for consideration by the Joint Industrial Council for State industrial employees;

(iii) persons paid on a fee, contract or piece-work basis or employed casually or on infrequent or nominal duties, e.g. Caretakers;

(iv) staff employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in offices outside the State whose pay is fixed by reference to local conditions.

Revision of Pay

5. Subject to the provisions of this circular an increase of 2% due under Section 19.18 of Sustaining Progress is being applied with effect from 1 July 2004 to the basic pay of the grades to which this circular applies in accordance with the Sustaining Progress agreement.

6. The increases due under paragraph 5 are being added to basic pay as at 30 June 2004. The increase is being added to each point of incremental scales (and to off-scale points), rounding to the nearest euro on annual scales and to the nearest cent on weekly scales. Hourly rates should be rounded to the nearest €0.001.

Revised Rates

7. The revised rates, effective from 1 July 2004, for members of general service grades and of certain grades common to two or more Departments, to which this circular applies, are set out in Appendices 1A and 1B to this circular.

Established Officers appointed on or after 6 April l995

8. As indicated in Circular 6/95, revised salary scales have been introduced for established officers appointed on or after 6 April l995 covered by Class A social insurance and making an employee contribution in respect of personal superannuation benefits. The revised rates effective from 1 July 2004, for certain grades in this category are set out in Appendix 2 to this circular. Rates for other grades may be obtained from this Department following the procedure outlined in paragraph 16.

Dual Employment

9. In the case of officers employed in more than one capacity each employment may be treated separately for the purposes of calculating revised remuneration in accordance with this circular.

Overtime

10. Payment in respect of overtime rendered on or subsequent to 1 July 2004 by members of grades to which this circular applies should be calculated by reference to pay as increased with effect from 1 July 2004.

Officers on Mark-Time

11. For officers on mark-time, both notional and mark time pay may be increased by 2% with effect from 1 July 2004.

Allowances

12. Allowances in the nature of pay for civil servants to whom this circular applies may be increased by 2%.

13. Children's allowances, both standard and ex-gratia, should be increased to €109.

Pensions

14. Pensions in course of payment on 1 July 2004 (revised, as appropriate, by reference to this Department's minutes of 7 November 1997 and 3 August 2000 to Personnel Officers) in respect of former civil servants who served in the grades to which this circular applies, will be adjusted, as appropriate in the normal way, by reference to the revisions of basic pay on the basis set out in paragraph 5 and 7. Departments/Offices which, under delegated authority, grant pensions and lump sums may, subject to any necessary prior consultation with this Department, revise pension payments strictly in accordance with this circular.

15. Officers in the grades to which this circular applies who retire on reaching the maximum retiring age limit during the period from 1 April 2004 to 30 June 2004 (both dates inclusive), but who could otherwise have been retained under the terms of this Department's Circular Letter 13/75 up to and including 1 July 2004, and who are alive on that date, may have their lump sums adjusted to take account of the pay rates applicable on that date. Deductions from lump sums in respect of non-periodic contributions under the Spouses’ and Children's Pension Schemes should also be adjusted in these cases.

General

16. Individual queries in relation to pay should be raised as heretofore with the officer’s Personnel Unit. Any difficulties that may arise from the application of this circular should be raised, by e-mail in the first instance, with this Department (e-mail address: payscales@finance.gov.ie). Where this is not possible, telephone queries may be raised with this Department (Tel. 6045404, 6045412 or 6045413). Superannuation queries should be directed to John A O’Connell (Tel. 6045405).

Electronic Copies of Circular

17. This circular is also available on the Department’s web-site at http://www.finance.gov.ie.

Mise le meas

Ciarán Connolly
Assistant Secretary

Click here for revised pay scales.