480. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he is aware that under Building Momentum that 3% was set aside for local bargaining; the reason his Department is blocking political staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas from local bargaining despite the 2022 agreement which linked staff to public service pay agreements; the reason his Department is refusing to engage with the Workplace Relations Commission and a union (details supplied) on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34017/26]

483. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether he is aware that his Department has excluded political staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas from accessing the 3% local bargaining fund under Building Momentum, despite the 2022 agreement which linked political staff to public service pay agreements; whether he has been made aware that his Department and the Houses of the Oireachtas have been refusing to engage with a union (details supplied) in the WRC on this matter to date; whether he is aware that under the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003, the Commission must obtain his consent before reaching agreement with any political staff in relation to pay; and therefore if he would consider his Department and the Houses of the Oireachtas as the relevant bodies to engage with the union on any issues in regard to income and benefits of political staff. [34063/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 480 and 483 together.

Staff employed under the Scheme for Secretarial Assistance are directly employed by members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. As such, these staff are not civil or public servants.

Pay for public servants is governed by a system of collective agreements between public service employers and public service unions and representative associations.  The terms of those agreements relate to public servants in grades, groups or categories in the public service represented by unions and associations that have ratified the terms of the given agreement.

In relation to those employed under the Scheme for Secretarial Assistance, an agreement reached at the Workplace Relations Commission in 2022, provided that pay of political staff appointed under the Oireachtas Scheme for Secretarial Assistance would be adjusted in line with general pay increases provided for in Public Service Agreements.

To date, staff appointed under the Oireachtas Scheme for Secretarial Assistance have benefited from all general round increases under the PSA totalling 8.25%. This includes an increase of 1% or €500 on 1 February this year, with one further general round increase of 1% due on 1 June 2026.

It is important to note that the public service agreement contains many provisions, mechanisms and obligations on the parties to that agreement beyond those relating to general pay adjustments.  These include agendas around reform and workplace change, dispute resolution and industrial peace etc.  The current agreement includes a clause permitting public service employers, trade unions / representative associations to negotiate proposals addressing matters such as structural changes, work practices, or other conditions of service.  As the staff concerned are not public servants, they fall outside the scope of these specific Local Bargaining provisions within the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026.