asked the Taoiseach whether Mr. D. O'Donovan, former Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare, has been appointed to any position in the public service, and, if so, the nature of such appointment, the terms and conditions thereof, the powers under which the appointment was made, and the effect of such appointment on the amount of the superannuation which had been awarded to him.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Former Departmental Secretary.
As was officially announced on the 11th September last, Mr. O'Donovan has been appointed to the post of Adviser to the Minister for Social Welfare. The post is an established one and carries the maximum of the salary scale applicable generally to secretaries of Government Departments, that is, the salary of which Mr. O'Donovan was in receipt prior to his removal from office last February; the appointment is subject to the terms and conditions normally applicable to established posts in the Civil Service. The appointment was made by the Minister for Social Welfare in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Section 2 (2) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, following a decision taken by the Government in pursuance of Section 6 (2) of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1924, as amended by Section 3 of the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act, 1926. The annual allowance that had been granted to Mr. O'Donovan following his removal from office ceased as from the 11th September last, that is, the date on which he took up duty as Adviser to the Minister for Social Welfare; on his eventual retirement from the Civil Service, Mr. O'Donovan's pensionable service prior to his removal from office will be added to his pensionable service subsequent to his appointment as adviser, for the purpose of any award that may be made to him under the Superannuation Acts, subject to the deduction from any additional allowance that may then be awarded to him under those Acts of the amount of the additional allowance that was granted to him following his removal from office.
In view of the fact that Mr. O'Donovan has been appointed Adviser to the Minister for Social Welfare, is the Tánaiste satisfied that the Minister for Social Welfare is the only Minister who needs an adviser or is it proposed to appoint advisers to all the Ministers of the present Government?
In view of the fact that the individual referred to in this question sacked over 100 County Dublin road workers without pension and without any reason, will those road workers now get a pension or be reinstated?
That does not arise on this question.