Leading Irish academic Anthony Foley says the picture that emerged from his study shows huge amounts of taxpayers' money being soaked up by the Departments of Health and Education - a situation which is crippling the Irish economy.

Between 1998 and 2007 the pay bill for the Department of Health increased by 193 per cent (€2.4bn to €7.2bn), while the pay bill for the Department of Education increased by 155 per cent (€2.2bn to €5.6bn). However, it is not frontline nurses and doctors that account for the vast majority of increases in staff numbers in the Department of Health, but rather administrative/ management employees.

"Public-sector employment growth has greatly exceeded the growth in population," Mr Foley says.

The DCU academic also points out that (prior to the last round of public pay increases) public-sector workers in Ireland earned an average of €50,000 a year - 32 per cent more than private-sector workers' average wage of €38,000.

Further information and discussion of Anthony Foley's report can be found in the current issue of Administration.