Amending judges’ pay is a small step on the road to recovery

THE YES case: In 2009 two acts of the Oireachtas were passed into law reducing the pay of public servants.

The first — the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 — introduced the public service pension levy. Following this the judiciary made an arrangement with Revenue to make voluntary contributions equal to the pension levy of approximately 8%. In 2010 contributions from 125 judges totalled €1,246,787.

A second, separate act was passed later that year, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Act, which introduced a pay cut to the gross salaries of all public servants. Applied proportionately this reduction would equal 14% of the average judicial salary. No voluntary arrangements were made in relation to this pay cut.