I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 124, 130, 132 and 133 together.
The Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) was established in my Department in September 2017 and the work of the Unit is currently under review.
There are currently fifteen staff in the Unit and all work on a full-time basis. The Director of the Unit was seconded to my Department from Fáilte Ireland and remains an employee of Fáilte Ireland. He was previously seconded to the (then) Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as Director of Ireland 2016.
No other Head of Communications position has been established by my Department.
On establishment of the Unit, staff in the Government Information Service (GIS) and some staff working on communications projects in my Department were redeployed to work in the SCU. The salary scale, employment status and provenance of all staff working in the SCU is detailed in the following table:
Position (relevant salary scale)
|
Employment Status
|
Provenance
|
Director (Assistant Secretary)
|
Public Servant
|
Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from Fáilte Ireland
|
Principal Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the National Shared Services Office
|
Assistant Principal Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
|
Assistant Principal Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from another communications role in the Department of the Taoiseach
|
Assistant Principal Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from another communications role in the Department of the Taoiseach
|
Assistant Principal Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the Department of Health
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from the Citizens’ Assembly
|
Higher Executive Officer equivalent
|
Public Servant
|
Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from Fáilte Ireland
|
Administrative Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
|
Administrative Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the Department of Health
|
Administrative Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
|
Media and Communications Assistant (Executive Officer)
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
|
Media and Communications Assistant (Executive Officer)
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
|
Media and Communications Assistant (Executive Officer)
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
|
Executive Officer
|
Civil Servant
|
Redeployed to the SCU from another communications role in the Department of the Taoiseach
|
All staff working in the SCU - with the exception of the two staff members seconded from Fáilte Ireland and existing Department of the Taoiseach staff redeployed to work in the Unit - responded to a cross-civil and public service request for expressions of interest and interviewed for their roles. Arising from this process, four applicants were also placed on panels to fill any vacancies that may arise in the Unit in the future.
The standard civil service reporting structure applies within the Unit and the Director of the Unit reports to the Secretary General of my Department.
Because the SCU was established in Q3 2017, provision was not made for it in my Department's 2017 Estimates. Approximately €50,000 was expended by the SCU from September to December 2017 and was met from my Department’s administrative budget.
In Budget 2018, provision was made in my Department’s 2018 Estimates for a non-pay budget of €5m to be made available to the SCU.
Salary budgets are not delegated to individual Divisions / Business Units in my Department. All salary costs for the SCU are met from my Department's administrative budget.