The Government has come under fire for introducing legislation ensuring all three 'super junior' ministers will be paid an extra €16,000 annually.

The allowance, which comes on top of their existing €124,000 salary, was apparently introduced so that all ministers of state would be paid the same.

But the decision has been criticised by opposition TDs, with Labour Party finance spokesman Ged Nash describing it as "tone deaf".

He was joined on The Last Word by Professor Gary Murphy from the School of Law and Government at DCU to discuss the controversy.