The government is said to be targeting savings of €300 million this year, and €1 billion over 3 years.

The opening session of the Croke Park extenstion talks will bring together representatives from 26 worker groups, before they move to the Labour Relations Commission in the coming days.

It's expected topics such as increments, premium pay and overtime will all be tackled in the process.

Teachers may be asked to change the way supervision and substitution payments are made - premium pay and overtime for Gardai and prison officers may also be looked at.

And the Irish Independent says the coalition intends to bring in compulsory redundancies in the public service for the first time - targeting workers who resist, and are unsuitable for redeployment.