Thousands more jobs are to go across the public service.

The Cabinet has agreed to a new targeted voluntary redundancy scheme.

It will be broadly-based on the plan used to get rid of staff from the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2010.

Between now and the end of next year the government must reduce numbers in the public service by 10,000 as part of the EU-IMF bailout deal.

Part of the reduction will happen regardless as part of normal retirements.

But in order to meet its targets the Cabinet has approved the new targeted voluntary redundancy programme.

Successful applicants will be entitled to 3 weeks pay per year of service on top of 2 weeks statutory pay.

Not everyone who applies for the scheme will get it however.

Public service managers are instructed to protect frontline services and keep jobs in areas of need.

Newstalk’s Political Correspondent Páraic Gallagher is in Leinster House.

He says it is not clear how many public servants the coalition wants to get rid of at this time.

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