Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 31 Mar 1998

Vol. 489 No. 3

Written Answers. - Ministerial Staff.

Sean Fleming

Question:

246 Mr. Fleming asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the details of all severance payments, statutory redundancy payments, payments for untaken leave and minimum notice payments made to all ministerial personal staff, programme managers, special advisers, personal assistants, personal secretaries and civilian drivers arising from the change of Government in 1997. [7934/98]

Sean Fleming

Question:

247 Mr. Fleming asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the number of days of untaken leave for all ministerial personal staff, programme managers, special advisers, personal assistants, personal secretaries and civilian drivers arising from the change of Government in 1997; the contractual obligations on these staff for the keeping of leave sheets; if leave sheets were kept in accordance with their contracts; if the staff complied with the usual Civil Service conditions regarding the granting of annual leave and the making of returns of annual leave taken; and, if not, the way in which untaken leave was verified in each case. [7948/98]

Sean Fleming

Question:

248 Mr. Fleming asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the details of all severance payments, statutory redundancy payments, payments for untaken leave and minimum notice payments made to any ministerial programme managers, special advisers, personal assistants, personal secretaries and civilian drivers who resigned before the change of Government in 1997; if these payments were provided for in their contracts or were legally claimable; and, if not, the reasons the payments were made. [7962/98]

Sean Fleming

Question:

249 Mr. Fleming asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if any ministerial programme managers, special advisers, personal assistants, personal secretaries and civilian drivers received severance, statutory redundancy, untaken leave or minimum notice payments in 1994 arising from the change of Government; and if they also received similar payments in 1997 arising either from their resignation or from the change of Government. [7976/98]

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 246, 247, 248 and 249 together.

The details requested by the Deputy in respect of the former Department of Tourism and Trade are set out as follows:

Office of the Minister

Position	Severance	Redundancy	Untaken Leave Days	Untaken Leave Payment	Minimum Notice
	£	£		£	£
Programme Manager	8,270.44	600	36	4,486.94	1,744.92
Special Adviser	2,780.04	843.72	21	1,181.20	562.48
Personal Secretary	–	2,700	22.5	1,639.58	728.70
Press Officer	4,855.83	–	22.5	1,794.70	558.36

Office of the Minister of State

Position	Severance	Redundancy	Untaken Leave Days	Untaken Leave Payment	Minimum Notice
	£	£		£	£
Special Adviser	6,447.96	900	12.5	1,214.64	1,360.41
Personal Secretary	2,945.02	600	13	812.45	624.96
Civilian Driver	2,694.13	1,051.72	25.5	1,340.94	525.86
Civilian Driver	2,286.67	–	13.5	709.91	262.93

None of the above who received payments at the time of the change of Government in 1997 received payments at the time of the previous change of Government in 1994.

The contracts for such staff specified their respective annual leave allowances, which were subject to the usual conditions which apply to the Civil Service regarding the granting of annual leave. Requests for annual leave were made by contract staff to the Ministers and/or private secretaries, as appropriate. Payment in respect of untaken annual leave was calculated by reference to standard leave sheets which constitute written statements on annual leave submitted by the staff concerned to the Department's personnel officer.

A civilian driver who resigned prior to the change of Government in 1997 did not receive severance, statutory redundancy, untaken leave or minimum notice payments.