Top civil servant’s pay to rise by €15,000 to €250,000

Department of Housing secretary general Graham Doyle is now in line to receive €250,000 a year as well as backdated pay for the last three years. File picture: gov.ie

The Department of Housing’s top civil servant is to receive a €15,000 pay rise, with the Government agreeing to backdate the increase to when he took up the job in 2020.

The department's  secretary general Graham Doyle is now in line to receive €250,000 a year, an increase on his previous €235,294 salary.

Mr Doyle, who took up the role in the department in July 2020, will also receive backdated pay for the last three years.

A salary increase is also being provided to the Department of Children's secretary general Kevin McCarthy, who will see his salary increase from €222,911 to €235,294.

The increases follow recommendations from the Independent Review Panel on Senior Public Service Recruitment and Pay Processes.

The report assesses that there have been increases in the functions of both departments, with Housing for All expanding the remit of the Department of Housing.

These recommendations were brought to Cabinet by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe.

Asked why the pay increase was backdated, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure said: “While not a recommendation in the report, the analysis set out in the report highlights the degree to which the expansion of scope and functions of these posts has taken place in recent years.

“As such, it is appropriate that this would be reflected in the implementation of the report’s recommendations.”

Speed limits

Cabinet also agreed to cut speed limits on certain roads across the country, with the Speed Limit Review set to be published later on Thursday.

Under the plan, maximum speeds on national secondary roads and local and rural roads will be cut by 20km/h.

Cabinet also agreed to establish an implementation task force, to be led by the Department of Transport. It is expected that the framework will be established by early 2024.

Domestic violence agency

Justice Minister Helen McEntee brought forward a memo with the text of a bill to establish a new domestic violence agency.

The proposed agency will be responsible for planning and co-ordinating refuge accommodation and providing financial support to victims of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.