Bertie Ahern
Ceist:9 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the number and cost of special political advisers and programme managers from outside the permanent public service appointed at his Department. [10246/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Advisers and Programme Managers.
I have appointed two people in the category of special advisers and programme managers from outside the permanent public service, specified by the Deputy. The annual cost of their salaries is £119,856.
We are in the wrong job.
Can I take it that is the full reply to my question and that none of the four Ministers of State in the Department employs outside advisers?
The Deputy's question relates to people from outside the permanent public service.
Appointed to his Department.
There are other appointees who were previously involved in other public service jobs and, therefore, do not come within the terms of the question posed by the Deputy.
They are a cost to the Taoiseach's Vote. Will he give the details in that regard?
I answered the Deputy's question. A special adviser in the office of the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for European Affairs was previously employed in another public service job. A special adviser in the office of the Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Carey, with responsibility for the west and rural development, was also in a previous public service job. They did not come within the terms of the Deputy's question but I have no problem in getting the information about their salaries for the Deputy if he wishes to have it.
Can you let me have the details?
Yes, I will get it for the Deputy.
What about the Ministers of State, Deputies Jim Higgins and Avril Doyle? Have they no outside advisers?
The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Higgins, has an outside adviser. I will get all the information about the other advisers for Deputy Ahern. He asked solely about political advisers and programme managers who came from outside the public service, which information I supplied to him. If he wants information about all advisers, I will obtain that for him. There is nothing hidden here; I will send Deputy Ahern a letter containing all that information and any other details he may require.
We move on now to priority questions tabled to the Minister for Education, the first of which is No. 11.