Vol. 507 No. 1
58 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Finance if the contracts of employment given to advisers or other political staff appointed to Departments contain any restrictions on the use of official information they may acquire in the course of their duties if they leave and take up appointments in the commercial sector; if not, if he will consider the imposition of these restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15347/99]
The employment contracts of advisers and other ministerial personal appointees in Government Departments contain restrictions on the use by such staff, subsequent to the termination of their official appointments, of official information acquired in the course of those appointments. In general, these restrictions are set out in the contracts in two ways.
First, all such appointees are expressly reminded in their contracts that the terms of the Official Secrets Act, 1963, apply to them. As such, the appointees concerned are legally required to uphold the confidentiality of all official information which they acquire in the course of their duties. The legal requirement applies both during and after the period of employment.
Second, the contracts of ministerial personal appointees contain an express prohibition on the unauthorised disclosure or publication of confidential official information or material, either during or subsequent to the period of employment, which has been acquired in the course of an appointee's duties.
