Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020
435. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will provide details of his advisers and those of the Ministers of State; the remuneration packages of same; and the date of commencement in their role. [19674/20]
View answer437. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the names and salaries of his special advisers; and the salaries paid to each Minister and Minister of State in his Department [19724/20]
View answer513. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will provide a schedule of advisers, special advisers and seconded civil servants currently working in his Department appointed and or recruited and or in an acting capacity; the roles and responsibilities attributed to each; and the salary scale for the role in tabular form. [20622/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 435, 437 and 513 together.
On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil are currently awaiting Government approval.
It should be noted that the appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the terms set out in the aforementioned guidelines, although the appointments are also subject to formal Government approval. At this stage, no Special Advisers have been formally appointed to my Department by the Government, either directly or by secondment. However, the Deputy may wish to note that I have assigned Ciara Shaughnessy to work with me as Special Adviser and it is anticipated that she will be formally appointed by the Government once the Guidelines have been approved. Ms. Shaughnessy's responsibilities are primarily in the area of press and media.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform must be notified of the rate of salary to be paid in all cases for Special Advisers; These rates will then be published on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The Ministers of State in my Department have not assigned anyone to work with them as Special Advisers.
The salaries paid to all Ministers and Ministers of State are on the basis of a one point salary scale. The rate as of 1st September 2019 is €79,510 in respect of Ministers and €38,787 in respect of Ministers of State. This is in addition to their salary as a T.D. This information is available on the website of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
