THE MINISTER FOR Communications, Pat Rabbitte, said “no sector of the public service should be exempt” from paycuts as talks on a new a deal on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement continues.

Speaking on Newstalk’s Breakfast, he said high paid earners, Ministers and TDs should “lead by example” and take cuts to their pay as the government tries to make €1 billion worth of savings from the public sector pay bill. He said the government had taken cuts in the past but the media had not reported widely on it.

Last night, four unions that represent around 80,000 workers walked out of the talks including The Irish Medical Organisation, The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the Civil Public and Services Union and Unite.

Mr Rabbitte said he couldn’t see any circumstance where walking out would be of benefit but denied that the government would bring in legislation to impose the cuts on those workers.

“The Government has set out to agree on a voluntary basis with the unions and representative bodies to secure the savings we targeted and it looks like we could do that,” he said.

A deal is close to completion, following overnight talks between trade unions and public service management.

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Brendan Howlin, arrived at the talks in Lansdowne House in Dublin before 7 am this morning.

At the moment work is being done on the final wording of the deal, which is expected to be announced in the coming hours.