Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
126. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the detail of each non-Civil Service appointment that has been made in his Department; the pay grade of each appointment; and the relevant qualifications that each appointee has for their position. [34283/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a number of categories of staff in my Department who work for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and who are not established civil servants.
They are Special Advisors, civilian drivers, local staff overseas and temporary Clerical Officers.
I have appointed four Special Advisers in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Ms. Caitríona Fitzpatrick is my Special Adviser and Political Director. She was previously a Special Adviser in my role as Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.
Mr. Matthew Lynch is my Special Adviser on Cabinet, Oireachtas and Leader’s Questions. He was previously in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation as Special Advisor to Ms. Frances Fitzgerald TD in her then role as Tánaiste.
Mr. Chris Donoghue is my Special Adviser and Communications Director. He was previously employed as Political Editor of the Communicorp group of radio stations and before that as a presenter on Newstalk.
The Special Adviser to the Minister of State for European Affairs is Mr. Paul Fox, who was previously employed as a Client Manager with PR 360 and before that as Adviser to Mr. Paudie Coffey TD at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
My Special Advisers are on the Principal Officer salary scale. The Special Adviser to the Minister of State for European Affairs is on the Assistant Principal Officer salary scale.
In addition, I have appointed four civilian drivers to the Department who work with the Ministers of State. Civilian drivers are paid €650.92 per week.
All of these appointments were made in line with “Instructions to Personnel Officers – Ministerial Appointments for the 32nd Dáil” which included “Guidelines on staffing of Ministerial offices” issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Every appointment in my Department is subject to the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.
Ireland’s diplomatic missions abroad employ staff locally who are familiar with local languages and local living conditions and possess the necessary qualifications, skills and experience to support the work of the mission. Pay grades vary according to role profiles and terms of employment vary in accordance with local labour law.
Each year my Department recruits Temporary Clerical Officers for the Passport Service to meet the seasonal demand in passport applications.
There has been a marked increase in demand for passports and citizenship via foreign birth registration from applicants since the Brexit vote. Therefore, Temporary Clerical Officers have also been recruited to assist with this extra demand in both the Passport Office and in Consular Division.
For 2018, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has sanctioned the recruitment of 228 Temporary Clerical Officers for my Department, to be employed for a maximum of 6,654 weeks. Temporary Clerical Officers are paid on the same scale as permanent Clerical Officers.
My Department abides by the Protection of Employees (Fixed-term Work) Act 2003 which, inter alia, makes provision for certain former fixed-term employees.
