Lenihan: No cut in junior ministries

THE Government has ruled out a reduction in the number of junior ministers, despite cutting back elsewhere in the public service in a bid to save money.

The 20 juniors — formally referred to as ministers of state — are “necessary to assist in governing the country in what is a very difficult time”, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan told the Dáil.

He was answering questions from opposition TDs about the €2bn package of spending cuts unveiled by the Government earlier this week. The key element of the package is a pension levy imposed on the country’s public servants. Labour has heavily criticised the Government for imposing the levy on low and middle-income earners while leaving all the high-earning junior ministers in place.