€32m bill for civil servants’ expenses

CIVIL servants working for Government departments claimed more than €32 million in subsistence, expenses and allowances so far this year while their overtime bill reached almost €17m.

As ministers intensify talks this week on a budget that’s expected to seek a 7% reduction in the public sector pay bill, new figures reveal the huge sums paid to staff in the 13 departments on top of their basic salaries.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen suggested over the weekend he would like to see a change in the public service that would allow a cut in the pay bill without reducing salaries.