Vol. 461 No. 2
37 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Finance, in view of the creation of five additional advisory posts for the Minister for Social Welfare to support his work in the Cabinet, the plans, if any, he has to create an equivalent number of advisory posts to assist each other Cabinet Minister; the costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1102/96]
As the Deputy will appreciate, special institutional arrangements were devised by the Government of which he was a member to provide the Tánaiste, as leader of a Government party, with the means of ensuring an appropriate input into all items coming before Government. The arrangement to which the Deputy alludes has been introduced in recognition of the position of the Minister for Social Welfare as the leader of the third party in Government and for a similar purpose.
