Both my Private and Constituency Offices are staffed in accordance with the Guidelines on Staffing of Ministerial Offices as issued by the Department of Finance in April 2011. These guidelines set out the maximum numbers of staff that can be employed in each office and I can confirm that staffing of my offices are fully compliant with the guidelines. The specific details requested by the Deputy in respect of overall staffing numbers and costs are set out in tabular form below:
Ministerial Private Office
Date
|
Staffing Levels (Wholetime Equivalent)
|
Annual Gross Salary (exclusive of PRSI and superannuation costs)
|
May 2011
|
6.3
|
€358,225
|
May 2012
|
6.8
|
€404,266
|
Ministerial Constituency Office
Date
|
Staffing Levels (Wholetime Equivalent)
|
Annual Gross Salary (exclusive of PRSI and superannuation costs
|
May 2011
|
3.0
|
€103,802
|
May 2012
|
4.0
|
€141,839
|
In addition to the above staff, I have also appointed two civilian drivers. As per the Guidelines on Staffing of Ministerial Offices, drivers are not considered "office" staff and are therefore not included above.