Salary system has overpaid by €4.6m

A new cross-departmental government salary system intended to save the State money has overpaid salaries by more than €4m since it was established.

Officials from the National Shared Services confirmed the situation to the Dáil Public Accounts Committee yesterday, despite stressing the system has saved the State up to €21m by reducing backroom costs.

Speaking during the latest meeting of the cross-party group, Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy said that since the new system was set up in 2016 it has overpaid salaries to the tune of €4.6m.