Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 19 Dec 1996

Vol. 473 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Ivor Callely

Question:

198 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the persons appointed by him or by the Minister(s) of State at his Department as programme managers, advisers, assistants or back-up staff either in his Department or in constituency offices; the annualised remuneration paid to these staff; the names of individuals, groups or companies which have undertaken or have been approved to undertake full-time, part-time or casual consultancies, reviews, examinations or analyses or any public relations service on his behalf or on behalf of the Minister(s) of State at his Department; the actual and estimated cost for 1997 in this regard; the persons, companies, consultants or otherwise he or the Minister(s) of State at his Department have appointed to carry out work on behalf of semi-State bodies under the aegis of his Department; the reviews, consultancies or reports which he or the Minister(s) of State at his Department have commissioned or are due to commission; and the full costs in respect of all of these matters to his Department. [25103/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

Mr Pat Nolan, a career civil servant with extensive experience of economic and social policy issues is employed as programme manager at a salary of £45,525 per annum with effect from 1 January 1997.

I have one special adviser Ms Rosheen Callender who has wide expertise in social policy and whose salary is £43,133 per annum with effect from 1 January 1997.

I have a personal assistant, whose salary is £19,921 per annum and a personal secretary whose salary is £15,234 per annum. Both salaries are effective from 1 January 1997.

The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Durkan, has a personal assistant whose salary is £15,234 per annum, a personal secretary whose salary is £15,025 per annum., and two civilian drivers who receive the standard annual salary of £13,720. All salaries are effective from 1 January 1997.

The function of personal advisory staff is to assist me and the Minister of State in discharging our responsibilities as public representatives and holders of Government office in a Department of State with responsibility for delivery of social welfare services to the public.

As the Deputy is aware, as a party leader in Government I have been sanctioned to employ five unestablished Civil Service staff in a research unit attached to my office. The staff of the unit is made up of one senior research assistant, Mr. Angus Laverty whose annual salary is £29,135, one research assistant whose annual salary is £18,729, two part-time research assistants whose annual salaries are £11,446 and one administrative assistant whose annual salary is £15,234. All salaries quoted are effective from 1 January 1997. The research unit provides research, analysis and advice on policy issues which arise outside my departmental responsibilities.

There are no consultants attached to my office or to that of the Minister of State. As part of its ongoing business, the Department engages a number of different companies and organisations to provide consultancy assistance. Most consultancies relate to technical and-or management support with projects that are designed to improve the delivery of the services of the Department. The predicted overall cost of consultancy to my Department for 1996 is approximately £1.8 million. The following is a list of the main companies and organisations who provided consultancy assistance to the Department during 1996: Agency Accounts Telecom Éireann; Andersen Consulting; Coopers and Lybrand; Digital Equipment Ireland Ltd; Gartner Group (UK) Ltd.; Goodbody Economic Consultants Ltd.; Kelleher and Associates; Market Research Bureau of Ireland Ltd.; Price Waterhouse; Work Research Co-operative Ltd.

In addition, a number of firms and-or individuals are engaged for smaller consultancy projects from time to time. The estimated overall cost of consultancy to my Department for 1997 is £0.75 million. A breakdown of these costs is not yet available.

During 1996 the following were appointed to the board of the Combat Poverty Agency: Bernie Brady, Michele Power, Fergus McCabe, Niall Fitzduff, Eoin O'Malley, Pat Ridge, Fionnuala Richardson, and Hugh Frazer.

During 1996, Mr. John Chadwick and Mr. Richard Keating were appointed to the Social Welfare Tribunal and Mr. Alan Broxson, Ms Caroline Jenkinson and Ms Maria Kinlan were appointed to the Pensions Board.