I propose to take Questions Nos. 1176, 1178 and 1299 together.
The current staffing of my Private and Constituency offices, and their salary ranges, is set out in the following table. The level of staffing in my offices for part of 2011 was slightly higher by 0.4 of a whole time equivalent at clerical officer level. I would remind the Deputy that this Government has reduced the number of staff in a Minister's Private Office from 10 to 8 and in a Minister's Constituency Office from 6 to 4 and that the staffing of my office complies with these guidelines.
Private Office
|
Salary (as of September 2012)
|
1 Private Secretary
|
€43,816 - €55,415 + appropriate Private Secretary allowance
|
3 Executive Officers
|
€30,516 - €47,975
|
2 Clerical Officers
|
€23,177 - €37,341
|
2 Special Advisors
|
€80,051 - €98,424
|
Constituency Office
|
|
1.6 Clerical Officers
|
€23,177 - €37,341
|
1 Personal Assistant *
|
€43,715 - €56,060
|
1 Personal Secretary
|
€23,820 - €47,755
|
* The Minister's Personal Assistant also acts as the Press Officer for the Department.
I appointed Ms Jane Lehane and Mr Thomas Cooney as my Special Advisors. They are both paid at the Principal Officer standard scale. I have made no requests for salary increases for either individual and the only changes to their salaries have been by way of normal incremental progression. No Minister of State maintains an office in my Department.