The pay adjustments arising from the Medical Scientist Grades Assessment were implemented following a 2023 Labour Court recommendation, which provides for their application no later than 1 January 2024 and subsequently formed part of the Pubic Service Agreement 2024-2026.
The revised rates introduced under Circular 2/2024 represented a regrading and movement to a new salary scale for Medical Scientist grades, effective from 1 January 2024. It is established practice that in such cases, the changes are not passed on to those who retired before its implementation.
The application of the new Medical Scientist Grade is in line with Public Service Pension Policy in this regard, i.e. where a post is upgraded, the terms of the upgrade apply from the date of the sanctioned upgrade. Terms do not apply retrospectively to previous post-holders, either employees who formerly held the post or retirees who previously held the post. This pertains across all grades of staff across the public service. This policy position has been subsequently supported by the Labour Court.
Accordingly, the exclusion of Medical Scientists who retired before 1 January 2024 from these specific adjustments is consistent with long-standing practice across the public service and with the operation of pension parity arrangements.
It is important to note that retired medical scientists, who are in pre-existing schemes, have benefited from general round increases of 9.25% provided for in the Public Service Pay Agreement 2024 – 2026 over the lifetime of the agreement.
