Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Oct 1996

Vol. 470 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

58 Mr. Calley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the resources available to him and the Ministers of State at his Department for the running of ministerial offices and constituency offices in terms of support services, finance and personnel, established and non-established, programme managers and special advisers; if he will give a breakdown in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19132/96]

Dermot Ahern

Ceist:

67 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the cost of salaries and incidental expenses of all programme managers, special advisers and other non-established contract staff in his Department for each of the years from 1994 to date in 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19174/96]

Dermot Ahern

Ceist:

69 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the salaries and general conditions of each of the non-established staff working in his Department for each of the years from 1994 to date in 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19202/96]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 67 and 69 together.

The details of salaries and conditions of service of staff in my office and in the offices of the Ministers of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and at the Office of the Tánaiste are matters of public record. To assist the Deputy, I refer him to my replies of 24 January 1995 to Question No. 58, of 7 June 1995 to Question No. 66, of 19 October 1995 to Question No. 59, of 14 February 1996 to Question No. 62, of 6 March 1996 to Question No. 56 and of 25 July 1996 to Question No. 45.

There have been two changes in this position. The personal assistant to the Minister of State, Deputy Joan Burton, Ms Dorothy Hayden, resigned her position on 7 August 1996. Ms Ciara O'Shea was appointed as her replacement on 16 September 1996 in accordance with the existing Department of Finance terms and conditions which apply to these appointments. Ms O'Shea's annual salary, excluding PRSI, is £19,536.

One clerical officer in my private office in the Department of Foreign Affairs was transferred on promotion to another section in the Department. She has not been replaced.

The details above do not include unestablished staff employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs as (1) locally recruited staff serving in various Irish diplomatic missions abroad, (2) temporary clerical assistants in the Passport Offices in Cork and Dublin, (3) personnel employed under the Department's Irish Aid Programme and (4) a number of service officers and cleaners. A significant number of staff fall into this category and it would not be possible to provide the required information in the time available. However, if the Deputy wishes, I can arrange for these details to be forwarded by letter at a later stage.

The costs of running ministerial offices in the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Tánaiste are met from the relevant subheads in the respective administrative budgets, details of which appear in the Book of Estimates.