Minister Simon Harris has admitted the pay rise for super junior ministers has 'stuck in the craw' of many people due to the coronavirus crisis.
Last week the Dáil approved legislation giving a €16,000 allowance to three super junior ministers.
Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers and Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughten will now get €140,000 a year, while Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett - who sits at Cabinet as a junior minister at the Department of Agriculture - will receive €123,186.
Fresh concerns have also been raised about Government spending after it was reported yesterday that Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has two chiefs of staff and will have up to six more special advisors.
The Public Accounts Committee may look into the controversial pay increase for the ministers of state.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris acknowledged that the issue is an annoyance for many people.
He said: "I very much accept that this has stuck in the craw of many, many people at what is a very difficult time in our country.
"I also understand that this was an effort to fix an anomaly - an anomaly Fine Gael wasn't in a position to fix before - where you had a female super junior minister at Cabinet being paid less than her male counterparts."
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast earlier, the new chairman of the PAC - Sinn Féin's Brian Stanley - said the Government's spending is "escalating".
Deputy Stanley said: "It sends out an awful signal, particularly when you look at last week... when they're appointing all these advisors, chiefs of staff, 20 junior ministers, special advisers, super juniors' pay being jacked up.
"The very same week they come in and cut payments for those unfortunate people who have lost their jobs due to the emergency pandemic by almost €150 per week."
He said he'll suggest the committee will look into the matter.
He said there are "bigger fish to fry" - such as the National Children's Hospital and National Broadband Plan - and his main goal will be for the committee to "get down to work quickly".
