To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 44621/11-15 and AQW 44622/11-15, to detail the process from the point of agreement to staff receiving their reward; and for his assessment of the efficiency of this process.

The pay remit approval process is how the Executive manages and monitors its Public Sector Pay Policy. The Minister for Finance and Personnel is responsible for the approval of all pay remit business cases.

Once the necessary approval is secured, the Education Authority (EA) will undertake a two stage process to ensure eligible staff receive their pay award. The first requires the processing of changes in basic pay, arising from any associated uplift (i.e. pay award and/or incremental progression for eligible staff) before the subsequent determination and payment of any associated pay arrears. This can take up to four months to complete, from the date of securing the necessary approval.

All staff will receive what is due to them, backdated to January 2015. The delay in receiving payment is due to the need to complete a pay remit business case and secure the necessary approval, in line with the Executive’s Public Sector Pay Policy.

Following the EA’s establishment on 1 April 2015, it is anticipated that the pay remit process will become more streamlined, leading to quicker approvals.

As with any process, there is always room for improvement; my officials continue to liaise with DFP to ensure that all pay remit business cases are dealt with as efficiently as possible.