Brendan Howlin
Question:4. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach his plans to appoint new special advisers. [36045/16]
View answerTuesday, 29 November 2016
Questions (4, 5)
Gerry Adams
Question:5. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the status of the appointment of additional special advisers by him and the Ministers of State at his Department. [37380/16]
View answerOral answers (52 contributions)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
There are five special advisers employed by my Department. I have three special advisers, including my chief of staff, and all were appointed with effect from 6 May 2016. The Government Chief Whip has two special advisers, one was appointed with effect from 6 May 2016 and a second was appointed with effect from 3 October 2016 due to the increased emphasis on parliamentary liaison.
In August 2016, I appointed a chief strategist for the Independent Alliance. Most recently, I appointed a political co-ordinator for the Independent Ministers in Government who took up his post this week. While not special advisers, these individuals are members of the political staff of my Department. I have no plans presently to appoint any new special advisers in my Department.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Is it true, as reported in The Irish Times, that a ministerial adviser has been made available to Deputy Harty? What is the legal basis for such an appointment? Is every Opposition Deputy to have access to the resources of a special adviser or is that only to be made available, in the words of Deputy Harty to Opposition Deputies who are "well-disposed" to the Government?
I acknowledge the Taoiseach's response in terms of his own Department but I want to ask about the appointment of special advisers across Government. Deputy Howlin has referred to one. It was reported recently that the Minister of State at the Office of Public Works, OPW, Teachta Canney and the Minister of State with responsibility for training, skills and innovation, Teachta Halligan, made a case in early October for the appointment of special advisers. Under guidelines, Ministers of State are permitted to hire special advisers only in "exceptional circumstances" subject to approval by Government. Senior Ministers are able to appoint two special advisers. I know there has been much controversy about such posts in the past but I acknowledge that it is an important role in terms of assisting Ministers with their workloads and responsibilities. The real point of contention centres on Ministers of State affording salaries in excess of the pay cap levels. What criteria were applied in the two instances I have cited in determining special circumstances for the two recent special adviser appointments to the Ministers of State, Deputies Canney and Halligan, respectively?
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Advisers can have an important role in the context of Government. I have no difficulty with that. There are six non-members of Fine Gael in the Administration and a handful of other Deputies in the arrangement for supporting the Government. It is quite intriguing that Deputy Harty, who does not have ministerial status, has access to an adviser. We need urgent clarity on that. Could the Taoiseach outline the specific staffing resources assigned purely to managing relations between Fine Gael and the others, who are made up of different groups? One adviser appears to have the sole role of managing the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross.
Only one?
I met that individual during the talks with the Independents. He came across as a very intelligent, pragmatic person who has had his work cut out for him since. He must be finding it very testing and challenging indeed to keep the Minister focused on his ministerial duties.
He was very good on "Claire Byrne Live" last night.
I have to question whether that is an effective use of resources. Can the Taoiseach outline the specific staffing resources? I take it that their focus is the implementation of Government policy and proper co-ordination and cohesion on policy. We are also advised that the person responsible for transport suddenly has a greater interest in justice and is dictating the scene there to the neglect of the transport portfolio. I note that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is claiming credit for the tourism figures even though he has been in office only six months. At least he is focusing on tourism despite the fact that he can hardly claim credit for it.
The information I have refers to my Department, the Chief Whip and the Minister of State at the Department of Defence. I am not aware that a special adviser has been appointed to Deputy Harty.
It was stated in The Irish Times that he has access to a special adviser.
These things have to be approved by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, something about which the Deputy knows. He grappled with these issues in times past. I do not have that information here. As I understand it, a special adviser has not been appointed to Deputy Harty. He is the Chairman of an important Oireachtas committee but special advisers, as I understand it, are appointed to Ministers and Minister of State for particular reasons and their appointment must be sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The Taoiseach did not reply to my question.
In today's edition of The Irish Times, it is stated that Deputy Harty has access to a special adviser appointed through a member of the Government.
I presume that is with the Taoiseach's consent. I would be very surprised if it is without the Taoiseach's knowledge. We are very careful about any special advisers. I am strongly of the view that special advisers perform a very useful and important function. The Taoiseach will remember the practice that no special adviser can be appointed without the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, certainly, but they also cannot be appointed without the consent of the Taoiseach. Is the Taoiseach learning for the first time that Deputy Harty, ostensibly an Opposition Member who says that he is well disposed to the Government, has access to ministerial advisers? Do others in opposition have equal access? Is it intended to provide other Opposition Deputies access to advisers who are actually recruited to work with Ministers? On what legal basis would that be provided?
The Taoiseach completely ignored the question I asked. While he may wish to kick the can in respect of Deputy Harty's arrangements, I asked him a question about Ministers of State who have had special advisers approved. I would think it unlikely that the Taoiseach was unaware of those appointments. I have asked him to explain the special circumstances that gave rise to the approvals in each of the cases of the Ministers of State, Deputies Canney and Halligan. I would like to know the special circumstances, given that it was a requirement that the appointment of advisers to Ministers of State needed to be approved.
I assume that these things apply in the case of the range of work and responsibilities relating to Ministers of State. I am being upfront with the Deputy when I say that what I have before me is information relevant to the Department for which I have responsibility. All of the details in respect of all those appointed in the various Departments are not to hand. I am, of course, asked when consent or approval is to be given for the appointment of special advisers. I will have to-----
Does the Taoiseach have a view on it?
-----check the extent of approvals that have been given to Ministers of State, or, as it is put in Deputy Adams's question No. 5, "for additional special advisers by him and the Ministers of State in his Department". I think I have dealt with the Deputy's question on appointing new special advisers.
I will give Deputy Howlin a full report from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the Ministers that have special advisers, the number of them, the Ministers of State-----
And their roles.
Yes, and their roles. We will of course do that.
Yes. There is no problem about that.
Will the Taoiseach provide it to Deputy Howlin or to all of us who posed the question to the Taoiseach?
We will not exclude you, Caoimhghín.
Deputy Ó Caoláin is elected to this House on the same basis as myself, Deputy Howlin and everybody else. Of course I will supply him with that information.
I thought there might be a residual special relationship between the Government and Deputy Howlin.
No. Just because Deputies Ó Caoláin and Howlin are divided by a passageway, does not mean they are divided by-----
The Taoiseach did not address the questions I posed. I do not accept that he is not aware of the arrangements of the two Ministers of State. I believe that is stretching credulity.
It is not stretching credulity. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, is dealing with very extensive flood response business at the moment, which covers €1 billion in expenditure and-----
The Fine Gael Ministers are getting-----
Is Deputy Canney passing on the baton in February?
-----deals with very sensitive cases around the country in which flooding has occurred. The Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, is a very busy man and is dealing with SOLAS, training, apprenticeships, school transport, which was raised in the House as a matter of priority, and other matters. I will send Deputy Ó Caoláin a full report.
I presume there are six special advisers available now to the three Ministers of State who attend Cabinet meetings. It is new that there are three Ministers of State attending Cabinet meetings. The two Independent Ministers of State, Deputies Halligan and Canney, have special advisers. Have there been any applications from Ministers of State of a Fine Gael persuasion to have advisers or do they not get a look in?
I have many applications. Believe me, I have.
I am a little bit intrigued by the Taoiseach's earpiece.
Sometimes I cannot----
I am not quite sure if he is following the racing from Kempton Park or somewhere or if he is here with us at all.
No. I am not listening to Cavan radio or anything else. Sometimes I find it difficult to pick the Deputy up.
I am not sure with whom he is in touch.
This is very important and it is a serious matter. We have all acknowledged the important role that advisers play.
Good.
Nobody is arguing about that. However, the criteria laid down relate to special circumstances - these appointments are not supposed to be made willy-nilly. I would like to know the special circumstances that were assessed for each of the Ministers of State to whom I have referred. I look forward to receiving the Taoiseach's reply as soon as possible.
Could the Taoiseach outline the specific staffing resources assigned purely to managing relations between Fine Gael and the other Government Deputies? Could he send it on to me if he does not have it at his disposal, as well as the individual arrangements pertaining to the Independent Ministers and Ministers of State?
I will.
Arising from that, what is the arrangement for the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the incoming Minister of State, Deputy Moran?
Boxer.
He is to become Minister of State in February. They tossed a coin as to who would get the first attempt at being Minister of State.
Will he inherit the adviser?
Will Deputy Moran get the same adviser that Deputy Canney has or will he have the luxury of picking his own? This is a very unprecedented thing to happen, to be honest. I have never come across a situation before in which turns are given to people on the basis that it is one person's turn one year and another person's turn the next and that a coin is tossed over it.
For such a vital issue.
Partnership Government. Power-sharing.
In my naivety, I asked if it was for the full term of two and a half years each. One of the Deputies looked at me as if I had lost my marbles and said, "Are you joking me? Sure this thing will not last at all. We will go one year at a time". Someone should intervene and stop that.
I will give Deputy Martin the full information on that. For Deputy Ó Caoláin's information, sometimes when the microphone switches on, I find it hard to pick up the first sentence or two. The earpieces are provided to give absolute clarity so that I can hear the Deputy with accuracy.
It is not the horse racing so.
I will have the full information relating to Deputy Ó Caoláin's question sent on to him.