I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 108 together.
Since I took office I have appointed 2 Special Advisers, a Personal Assistant and a Personal Secretary in accordance with the revised conditions for Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Finance on the 24th, March 2011. The Minister of State at my Department has similarly appointed a Personal Secretary and Personal Assistant. The tabular statement gives details of the Ministerial appointments made at my Department earlier this year together with details of their current salaries. They were placed on the appropriate point of the salary scale proximate to the earnings they were in receipt of in their former employment.
In relation to their political activities or affiliations, I am not in a position to give details as it is not open to me to request the appointees to provide this information. However, the Deputy should note that the restrictions which have traditionally been imposed on civil servants engaging in political activity under Paragraph 5.4 of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour do not apply to Ministerial Staff holding temporary unestablished positions and whose tenure is coterminous with that of the relevant Minister.
In accordance with the terms of the Ethics in Public Office Acts copies of the appointees' contracts of employment together with details of the Special Advisers qualifications were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the 28th, October 2011.
Mr. Ruairí Quinn, T.D. Minister for Education & Skills
Appointee
|
Position
|
Salary
|
John Walshe
|
Special Adviser
|
€92,672
|
Deirdre Grant
|
Special Adviser
|
€86,604
|
Ian O’Mara
|
Personal Assistant
|
€47,304
|
Neil Ward
|
Personal Secretary
|
€45,160
|
Mr. Ciaran Cannon, T.D., Minister of State
Appointee
|
Position
|
Salary
|
Martina Forde
|
Personal Assistant
|
€49,790
|
Niamh Lawless
|
Personal Secretary
|
€38,945
|