Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Nov 1981

Vol. 331 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Appointment of Public Relations Officers.

30.

Mr. Briscoe

asked the Minister for the Public Service if he authorised or is aware of the appointment of public relations/press information officers for each Minister and Minister of State; if he will give details of each appointment indicating the salaries being paid to individuals or firms; and the public moneys allocated at present for this purpose.

Mr. Kavanagh

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

The following is the statement:

Public relations/press information officer appointments

Department/Office	Details of appointment	Annual Salaries/fees
			£
Taoiseach	Government Press Secretary — appointed for duration of present Government	21,220
	Head of Government Information Services —appointed for duration of present Government	18,000
	Other staff of Government Information Services	133,005
	1 Assistant Director
	5 Press Officers
	1 Librarian
	1 Personal Secretary to Government Press Secretary
	1 Superintendent of Typists
	4 Typists
Public Works	Assistant Principal carrying out Information Officer duties	13,236
Justice	Special adviser performing most of duties of Information Officer — appointed August 1981	13,308
Education	Information Officer — on secondment from Department of Taoiseach since August 1981	21,220
Fisheries and Forestry	Publicity Officer — on contract basis since February 1981	12,046
Agriculture	Information Branch	Part-time	37,500
	1 Assistant Principal
	1 Higher Executive Officer
	1 Executive Officer
	1 Staff Officer
	1 Clerical Officer
	2 Clerical Assistants
Labour	Information Officer — appointed June 1967	13,308
Trade, Commerce and Tourism	Information Officer — appointed December 1972	13,308
Executive Officer		5,719
Posts and Telegraphs	1 Information Officer — appointed October 1979	12,000
1 Journalist (currently vacant)
	1 Higher Executive Officer		19,400
	1 Clerical Officer
	1 Clerical Assistant
	Public Relations of Ireland Ltd. engaged since November 1981	12,000
Defence	Information Officer — appointed February 1980	13,308
Foreign affairs	Assistant Secretary (part-time)	228,000
	Information Section
	2 Counsellors
	2 First Secretaries
	1 Assistant Principal
	2 Third Secretaries
	1 Executive Officer
	2 Clerical Officers
	6 Clerical Assistants
	Abroad
	2 First Secretaries	London
	1 Third Secretary
	5 First Secretaries (New York, Washington, Paris, Bonn, Brussels)
Social Welfare	1 Information Officer (shared with Department of Health)
	Information Section		55,577
	1 Principal	Part-time
	1 Assistant Principal
	1 Higher Executive Officer
	2 Executive Officers
	1 Clerical Officer
	4 Clerical Assistants
Health	Information Officer — appointed in April 1980
	(shared with Department of Social Welfare)	12,000
Industry and Energy	Information/Publicity Officer — appointed February 1980	16,183
Environment	Information Officer — appointed October 1980	11,626
	Public Relations of Ireland Ltd. — engaged since November 1981	12,000
	Total Cost		693,964

Dates of appointment are not readily available in cases where information sections are staffed by general grades of Departments/Offices.

Mr. Briscoe

Could the Minister give me some idea of the numbers involved?

Mr. Kavanagh

It is quite a lengthy statement and I should prefer to let the Deputy have a copy of it.

Mr. Leyden

Surely there could not be more public relations officers than Ministers. That would be an outrageous situation.

Mr. Briscoe

Does it exceed the previous Government's total of eight?

Mr. Kavanagh

I would say it does.

Mr. Gene Fitzgerald

In view of the fact that there are 3,881 unfilled vacancies in the civil service, how can the Government justify so many appointments in contravention of the embargo which applies?

Mr. Kavanagh

If the Deputy had been here earlier he would have learned that the number of vacancies is less now than on 1 July last.