Pay cut reversal for higher-paid civil servants 'sent very bad signal'

Green Party Chairman Dan Boyle says the u-turn on the paycut for higher-paid civil servants, announced earlier this year, sent out a very bad signal.

It has emerged that the Association of Assistant Secretaries and Higher Grades told the Minister for Finance that their work was so important, they deserved a pay rise.

The Irish Independent says Minister Brian Lenihan subsequently gave the 150 assistant secretaries an exemption from the full amount of public sector cuts.