SEANAD REPORT: SHANE ROSS(Ind) said he feared that the Taoiseach was still a prisoner of the Department of Finance in regard to the exempting of top public officials from the full impact of pay cuts.

The “extraordinary” episode of higher-paid civil servants getting preferential treatment seemed to be led by the Department of Finance. “These guys” had been getting bonuses over the last four or five years – a period when the country was going to ruin. Responsibility for that period rested with the Taoiseach, then minister for finance, and with those who were the permanent government, the mandarins in the department.

Mr Ross said calculations had been made on the basis that these “unfortunate” people were losing their bonuses. “They should never have got their bonuses in the Department of Finance at all.”

Eugene Regan(FG) said the policy of the Government was supposed to be based on fairness and everyone sharing the pain. But the reversal of the cuts for certain people undermined this policy.

Paschal Mooney(FF) said there had been a debate by the parliamentary party. Jerry Buttimer(FG) replied: "You all rolled over."

Rónán Mullen(Ind) said it seemed to be very easy for people at a certain level of society to get consideration of their needs, perhaps by a word in the Minister's ear. Even the perception of that would sap the confidence of the public who were being asked to make considerable sacrifices.

Seanad leader Donie Cassidysaid a table of net pay reductions since 2008 indicated drops of 7.3 per cent for clerical officers; 16.8 per cent for assistant principals; 19.3 per cent for principal officers; 24.9 per cent for assistant secretaries general; 27 per cent for department secretaries general, and 33 per cent for secretaries general. "It's pay in your pockets, Senators. Very simple arithmetic."