The Taoiseach’s insisting pay cuts across the public service have been fair.

The Government’s under fire after reducing the pay cut for 600 higher paid public servants.

But the Department of Finance says it’s to be fair because their bonus payments are included.

Brian Cowen’s told the Dáil the Government did not single out public service workers.

“I’m acutely aware of the difficulty that the reductions in pubic service pay will cause people – but the government had to take these decisions to stabilise the public finances” he said.

“We did this not because we wanted to, because we had to”.

“The reductions do not reflect any lack of recognition of public servants or the quality of the work they do for all of us; they’re simply a matter of budgetary necessity in these extraordinarily difficult times” he added.