Ahern says most pay rises 'small enough'

The vast majority of public sector employees who got pay awards got "small enough" rises, according to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who acknowledged that he got a "huge increase" following the report by the body which reviews senior public servants' pay levels.

The Taoiseach was replying to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore's condemnation of the awards to Mr Ahern and government Ministers, particularly Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, of whom he asked: "why is the taxpayer being asked to give Minister Dempsey an extra €25,666 per annum and for what exactly is Minister Dempsey going to get an extra €500 per week?"

The Government was "proposing to give itself very substantial pay increases, making you, Taoiseach, the highest-paid head of government in the world". Mr Gilmore added: "by any standards this is feathering your own nest at a time when there are cutbacks in the health service, in childcare and in other areas of public services." Mr Ahern said the pay awards report covered the Civil Service, the local authorities, the health boards, non-commercial State bodies, An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, hospital consultants, members of the judiciary and political office holders. He pointed out that "95 per cent of it is to do with all the grades, 5 per cent to do with office holders, though you wouldn't have thought so over the last few days".

The report, by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, was the first since 2000 and he agreed that salaries should be reviewed every four years, "because when you leave it for a long period, increases that are small enough for the vast majority of people - I leave myself out, of course, I got a huge increase, I accept that . . ." , Minister Dempsey "and all the other Ministers have all received their increases on that".

Mr Gilmore, however, sharply criticised Mr Dempsey for his U-turn in the row over provisional driving licences, and for being unaware of Aer Lingus's plan to move its Heathrow slots from Shannon.

The Labour leader asked: "why is the taxpayer being asked to give Minister Dempsey an extra €25,666 per annum and for what exactly is Minister Dempsey going to get an extra €500 per week?" He said that in Britain six government ministers had resigned over issues in their departments. "In this country no matter what a minister does, no matter how badly he screws up, there's no question of a resignation or an apology to the House. What you do is you reward him with an increase in pay."

But the Taoiseach accused the Opposition of hypocrisy and said that "one day it's up on your feet saying it is outrageous how people are on the road and not complying with all the law, and the next day it's terrible that people have to comply with the law.

"The fact is the decision of Minister Dempsey will mean that in a matter of months we'll probably have the greatest degree of compliance with traffic regulations that we've ever had."