Top managers in Ireland's public service continue to be paid much more than their EU counterparts, according to a new report. The Public Sector Trends 2011report says there is a much larger gap in the pay of Irish and EU senior public service managers than between more junior ranks in either location.

However, the report, published by the Institute of Public Administration, states that, as a percentage of the labour force, public sector employment in Ireland is not high by European standards.