Though just marginally above the national minimum wage of 298 a week, highly experienced legal staff working in the hundreds of the increasingly profitable law firms have traditionally been among the lowest paid staff in the country.

The new deal gives office managers in law firms a top salary of 468 a week, up 10% on the old rate, law clerks 425 per week, up 14% and legal secretaries 400 a week, up 16%.

These top rates are only achieved after six years.

Brian Higgins of Mandate trade union, who negotiated the increases with Siptu, welcomed the deal but added that the unions had to "drag it out" of the Incorporated Law Society, which represents law firms.

Higgins said that the new rates are the legal minimum and solicitors can pay more.

But he said that while some do, solicitors in small rural towns in particular, stick to the minimum rates.

He instanced one legal secretary in the Limerick area who complained that after almost 40 years in the job she was paid just 344 a week with just 20 days off a year and had no pension.