Pay for the country's top civil servants should be reviewed given an ongoing difficulty in attracting talent despite earning €200,000 and more a year, the Public Service Pay Commission has found.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen is taking a €28,500 pay cut and his ministers will see their salaries fall by roughly €11,250 as the Government attempts to demonstrate it is leading by example.

GARDAÍ are earning an average of almost €67,000 a year — €15,000 of it overtime — according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.