Vol. 497 No. 5
2 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach the number of civil servants in his Department allocated full-time or part-time to servicing the needs of independent Deputies who have made commitments to support the Government; if the number is to be increased in view of the recent decision of Deputy Tom Gildea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24580/98]
One assistant principal officer attached to my office has been designated as the liaison person with the independent Deputies who support the Government. This arrangement will include Deputy Gildea and there are no proposals to provide additional staff for this purpose. The officer also assists the Chief Whip in his dealings with all independent Deputies in the Dáil as well as fulfilling other duties in the Taoiseach's office.
Will the Taoiseach outline what liaising with the four independent Deputies who support the Government involves? Is the person carrying out these duties an established or an unestablished civil servant? If he or she is unestablished, when was he or she appointed?
He is well established. He is a good deal more established than the Government.
Hope springs eternal.
The person concerned is an established official civil servant.
He is an established civil servant?
Yes, he is a long established civil servant.
In reply to a question on this matter on a previous occasion, the Taoiseach said this person was unestablished and that was saving us money.
He is an established civil servant.
The word "liaison" means what the Deputy would understand it to mean. This person keeps in contact with the Members.
Is he on a performance bonus?
No.
On what matters does the person concerned keep in contact with the four Deputies? Does he have a list of the priorities on which those Deputies wish to be kept informed?
The civil servant concerned would have a good idea about the issues the Members who contact him consider a priority. He tries to assist them in whatever way he can and liaises with them by way of giving them whatever information he can.
Has the Taoiseach considered whether this appointment involves an inappropriate politicisation of the Civil Service in so far as a civil servant is being asked to do work that would normally be done by the Government Whip?
Not at all.
No. The work of this civil servant is not much different from the work of any civil servant who tries to assist and help Members. When this civil servant is asked about matters all he can do is check the position, liaise with and report back to the Member. He cannot do any more than that. I do not consider that politicisation of a civil servant.
On what list of priority issues does this civil servant maintain contact with the Independent Deputies concerned? Is it a list with which those Deputies or the Taoiseach has provided him? Given that, presumably, such a list would consist of political matters, does the Taoiseach consider it appropriate that a civil servant should have a political task?
They are not political matters.
I do not consider these political matters.
I am sure the Independents do.
I do not consider there is a list. When Deputies raise issues they are entitled to have them followed up. That is what this person does along with his other duties. He has been designated to follow up on these issues. That is what he does.
Has the Secretary General of the Department in question agreed to the role that has been created for this public servant? Does the Taoiseach agree that keeping the Government in office and winning Dáil divisions is probably the most political task any person could be asked to perform and that it is naive to suggest, as the Taoiseach has, that this is not politicising a civil servant?
During my 21 years in this House I have been a Government Whip and I saw civil servants, attached to the Whip's office, keep Members on track. I saw them ring hotels, bars and taxis to find Members for votes. That is politicising an issue.
That is a different point.
Will the Taoiseach agree this is not normal whipping, but a separate arrangement for four Deputies involving a clear choice by the Government to politicise an individual? This is a known individual, while people who work in the Whip's office preserve the anonymity of the Civil Service. In this case a known civil servant has been asked to perform a party political task and that is outside the normal canons of public service.
I call Deputy De Rossa for a final supplementary.
Perhaps the Taoiseach will answer the question put by the Leader of the main Opposition party.
The Opposition is only making pompous statements that do not deserve an answer.
It is not for the Minister to judge about pomposity.
A question please, Deputy.
For a man who appointed a person on a salary of £90,000 or £100,000 a year over the Civil Service and Deputy De Rossa who had a room full of people——
Deputy Woods, please allow Deputy De Rossa to ask his question.
The Taoiseach is in a bad way when the Minister, Deputy Woods, is trying to save him.
The Taoiseach is being rescued by a dead sheep.
Given that the Taoiseach is extremely coy about what role this civil servant is playing as a liaison officer between himself and this group of independent Deputies, will he indicate to the House whether the list of items — which Deputy Gildea published shortly after his agreement to support the Government some weeks ago — is included in the list of priorities which this civil servant must monitor and keep in touch with the Deputies and the Taoiseach's office about?
Among other functions the official has when Deputies raise different issues from time to time, he does his best to liaise with the Member. That is all.
Will the Taoiseach define the difference in the task performed by the Government Chief Whip with regard to liaison with these four Deputies, and the person in his office?
It is that the individual assists the Government Chief Whip in his duties.
