Joe Walsh
Ceist:165 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare the names and remuneration of all special advisers, programme managers and consultants employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10716/95]
Written Answers. - Ministerial Appointments.
Mr. Pat Nolan, a career civil servant with extensive experience of economic and social policy issues, is employed as programme manager at a salary of £43,233 per annum.
I have one special adviser, Ms Rosheen Callendar, who has wide expertise in social policy and whose salary is £42,894 per annum. I also have a personal assistant, Ms Katherine Chandler, who is paid a salary of £18,955 per annum.
The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Bernard Durkan, is currently making arrangements to appoint a special adviser and a personal assistant but the details of these appointments have not yet been finalised.
The function of personal advisory staff is to assist me and the Minister of State in discharging our responsibilities as public representatives and holders of Government Office in a Department of State with responsibility for delivery of social welfare services to the public.
There are no consultants attached to my office or to that of the Minister of State. As part of its ongoing business, the Department engages a number of different companies and organisations to provide consultancy assistance. Most consultancies relate to technical and-or management support with projects that are designed to improve the delivery of the services of the Department. The Department's current consultancy requirement is heavily influenced by the development and implementation of a major strategic project to integrate all short term social welfare schemes.
The estimated overall cost of consultancy to my Department for 1995 is £4.62 million. The following is a list of companies and organisations engaged by the Department: Andersen Consulting; Digital Equipment Corporation; Price Waterhouse; ICL (Peritas); Coopers & Lybrand; Gartner Group (UK) Ltd.; Economic & Social Research Institute; Goodbody Stockbrokers; and Jerome Casey Ltd. In addition a number of firms and-or individuals are engaged for smaller consultancy projects from time to time.