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OPINION:Public servants are being made scapegoats through a campaign of misinformation, writes TOM GERAGHTY

IN RECENT times public servants have become used to being attacked and scapegoated. The latest manifestation is a concerted attempt to misrepresent their pay situation relative to the rest of the community. The publication of the Central Statistics Office (CSO), figures which appear to suggest that the pay of public servants is significantly ahead of the rest of the economy and subsequent ESRI comments that there is scope for cutting their pay, have generated an impression that public servants are paid more than private sector counterparts.