I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together.
There are ten staff employed in my private office. These include 8 administrative staff, a Press Adviser and a Special Adviser. The 8 administrative staff are all established civil servants, one Higher Executive Officer, 1.5 Executive Officers and 5.5 Clerical Officers.
The Higher Executive Officer is on a payscale of €42,180 to €53,541 with a Private Secretary allowance of €18,742 per annum. The Executive Officers are on a payscale of €27,692 to €43,944 adjusted proportionally in the case of the work sharing officer. 1 Clerical Officer is on a pay scale of €21,974 to €34,786 (Clerical Officer Higher Scale) adjusted accordingly to take account of work sharing. 3 of the Clerical Officers are on a pay scale of €20,996 to €34,049 (Class B rate of PRSI contribution applies). The other 2 Clerical Officers are on a payscale of €22,102 to €35,838 (Class A rate of PRSI contribution applies as they commenced employment after 6 April 1995). The total overtime costs and expenses incurred to date in 2006 for the administrative staff in this office are €16,165 and €6,862 respectively.
The Press Adviser and Special Adviser were appointed by me on a contract basis for my term of office. The Press Adviser is on a personal salary of €103,563 together with a private pension contribution of 11% of salary. The Special Adviser is on a Principal Officer payscale of up to €90,770. The total expenses incurred to date in 2006 by my Press Adviser and Special Adviser are €21,747 and €12,452, respectively. No overtime costs have been incurred by these officers who are on call on a seven day per week basis.
There are a total of six full-time administrative staff assigned to deal with matters in my constituency office. There are four established civil servants, one Executive Officer on a payscale of €27,692 to €43,944 and three Clerical Officers on a payscale of €22,102 to €35,838. The total overtime costs incurred to date in 2006 for the administrative staff in this office are €3,357. No expenses have been incurred to date in 2006 by these officers.
I have also appointed, on a contract basis for my term of office, two non-established civil servants, a Personal Secretary and a Personal Assistant. The annual salary for my Personal Secretary is €40,520. My Personal Assistant is on secondment from the Department of Education and Science. That Department will recoup from my Department on an annual basis the cost of a replacement teacher's salary, allowances, PRSI contributions and superannuation contributions. This will be in the region of €44,800.The total expenses incurred to date in 2006 by my Personal Assistant and Personal Secretary are €840. No overtime costs have been incurred to date in 2006 by these officers. The rates of pay shown are exclusive of the 3% pay increase provided for with effect from 1 December 2006 under the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. There is no Minister of State in my Department.