Public sector pay is 48% more than private

Public sector workers earn on average 48% more than those employed in the private sector, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Public servants are paid an average of €919 per week, compared to €622 in the private sector.

The chief executive of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Isme), Mark Fielding, branded the situation as one of the greatest inequalities in society and called on the Government to abandon proposed plans to reverse public sector pay cuts in the upcoming budget.