Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the public service unions for accepting the need to reduce the public service pay bill and for their constructive and strenuous efforts to reach an agreement on how this would be done. Regrettably, a deal was not possible. The reductions we must now make do not reflect any lack of recognition of public servants or of the quality of the work they do for all of us. They are simply a matter of budgetary necessity in these extraordinarily difficult times. Accordingly, the pay of public servants will be reduced with effect from 1 January 2010 by a reduction of 5% on the first €30,000 of salary-----

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