The Cabinet will today consider a report recommending significant pay rises for Ministers and senior civil and public servants.
Informed sources said last night that the review body on higher remuneration in the public service would recommend increases of around 6 to 8 per cent.
Ministers received increases of some 20 per cent under a report by a top-level pay review body in September 2000.
Those covered by the report include Ministers, senior civil servants, judges and senior local authority and health service managers. About 1,700 hospital consultants would also benefit.
Department of Finance sources confirmed last night that the review body report was to be considered by the Cabinet today.
However, other Government sources said the Cabinet could defer a decision on the report until September. The pay review was carried out by a group headed by chairman of the C&C Group Tony O'Brien.
In April the Government invited the review group to issue interim recommendations by June if it was satisfied that "serious anomalies or inequities exist".
The review group will issue a final report on pay at the top level of the civil and public service by 2007. It is understood Ministers did not make a submission to the pay review. Ministers currently earn about €140,000 a year.
TDs are not covered by the current review as they were included in the benchmarking process.
Informed sources said that senior local authority and health service managers sought pay increases of between 10 and 12 per cent.
However, it is understood that hospital consultants sought increases of more than 20 per cent.
Local authority county managers receive salaries ranging from just over €100,000 to €150,000 a year. Hospital consultants are currently paid between €122,000 and €154,000 for their public hospital commitments.
