€7.8m paid to civil servants on career breaks

At least €7.8m was paid to civil servants who did no work over the past three years under a career break scheme.

Around 300 workers availed of the scheme which allowed them claim a third of their salary — up to €12,500 a year — for a three-year period off work.

Government departments claim savings amounting to multiples of this have been achieved in their pay bills as a result of the initiative introduced in 2009 by the then finance minister, the late Brian Lenihan.