Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It does not make a mockery of it in as much as the policy must be implemented. I have set out to make the adjustments on the basis of targeting those who are best paid. If there are means used to circumvent that, it is something I regret. I have placed a cap on public sector pay that has been implemented across the public sector. We have gone further under the terms of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest legislation and made additional reductions. Workers across the public sector, but particularly those in the Civil Service, earning more than €65,000 have made a very substantial contribution to making those deductions. We will ensure that public sector pay, as determined by Government, is implemented across the entire public sector.

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