Departmental Staff.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2007

Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Questions (962, 963, 964)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

1006 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number, rank and pay of all civil servants in his Department and Ministerial staff, personally appointed by him or otherwise, who are engaged in media monitoring; the nature of the work done; the persons who the information is circulated to or the people who have access to this information; the cost of this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33503/07]

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

1008 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of press officers and press advisers in his Department; the rank and pay of each; the description of work done; the persons to whom the information is circulated or made accessible to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33533/07]

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

1010 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of press advisors employed by his Department; the cost of such advice for each year since 1997 to date in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33563/07]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1006, 1008 and 1010 together.

The number, rank and annual salaries of the civil servants currently assigned to the Press Office and Ministerial staff, personally appointed by me, who are engaged in media monitoring are as follows:

Name	Title	Duties	Salary
Ms Bríd McGrath	Press Advisor	Advisor on Press/Policy issues with specific concentration on media relations, public events/ statements/speeches and managing the Press Office.	Principal Officer (standard) salary scale (modified PRSI) €82,016 (min) to €95,363 (max)
Ms Grace Milton	Personal Secretary	Providing secretarial support to the Minister concentrating on media relations.	Secretarial Assistant salary scale €22,064 (min) to €41,019 (max)
Higher Executive Officer	Press Officer	Providing advice to the Minister and the Department relating to the provision of information to the public on the activities of the Department.	Higher Executive Officer salary scale €46,646 (min) to €59,213 (2nd LSI)
Clerical Officer	Clerical Officer	To provide clerical support in the Press Office	Clerical Officer salary scale €445.02 p.w (min) to €721.57 p.w (2nd LSI)

The Press Office communicates with the Department, the wider civil service, the media and the public. Information on the areas under my remit is widely available on the Department's website, through press releases and also through the service provided by the staff in the Press Office.

The following press advisors were employed by the former Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources which was established in 2002:

Name	Title	Date of Appointment	Salary Level
Ms. Olive Stephens	Press Advisor	09 October 2006 to 14 June 2007	Principal Officer salary scale (Modified PRSI) €78,066 (min) to €90, 770 (max)
Ms. Grace Cappock	Press Advisor	30 September 2004 to 20 September 2006	Principal Officer salary scale (Modified PRSI) €70,578 (min) to €82,066 (max)
Mr. Richard Moore	Press Advisor	18 June 2002 to 29 September 2004	Principal Officer (standard) salary scale (modified PRSI) €61,121 (min) to €75,603 (2nd LSI)