Hi °C | Lo °C The "inexplicable" and "disappointing" failure of years of austerity to reduce the overall cost of public sector pay has been criticised by Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell.
A response from Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin to queries on public service pay and pensions in 2011 and 2012 has revealed that, in spite of an ongoing series of cost-cutting proposals, the taxpayer actually paid out more in public service pay and pensions in 2012 than it did in 2011.
The figures reveal that the cost of pay and pensions went from €18.553bn in 2011 to €18.574bn in 2012.
They also reveal that approximate savings of just under €290m in pay in 2012 were cancelled out by an increase of €311m in pension payments.
Minister Howlin's department has claimed that two annual reviews have found that "approximately €1.5bn in savings has been achieved during the first two years of the agreement.''
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Ms Mitchell said: "After five years of pain... it is very disappointing that public pay and pensions bill has remained virtually the same." She added that Croke Park 2 will have to do better.
Irish Independent
