Talks on public sector pay bill savings resume

Talks aimed at saving a further €1bn from the public sector pay bill are beginning today.

Senior trade union officials and Government representatives are attending the preliminary discussions in Dublin.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin wants to expand the Croke Park Agreement up until 2015.

It is expected that it will take a number of months before any deal could be secured.

IMPACT spokesperson Bernard Harbor says achieving the additional savings will be difficult.

"We're already taking out €1.5bn a year from pay roll costs and that has taken quite a bit of work to achieve," he said.

"Looking to put another €1bn on that will be difficult and it will be difficult to find those savings in a fair way for people on low level incomes and the rest."