As the Deputy will be aware, on the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil are currently awaiting Government approval.
Appointments to the position of Special Adviser are made in accordance with Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. All appointments to the position of Special Adviser require a Government Order to be made.
Special Advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State who regularly attend Cabinet are to be placed on the Principal Officer (Standard) PPC scale: currently €87,325 - €101,114.
While appointments should normally be on the first point of the scale, Secretaries General have delegated sanction to approve any increment on the Principal Standard Scale where they are satisfied that this is justified.
At this stage no appointments to the role of Special Adviser have been formally made by members of the Government, this process will start once the Guidelines have been approved by Government and details will be published on the DPER website. However, the Deputy may wish to note that I have to date assigned one person to work with me as Special Adviser and that person will be formally appointed by the Government once the Guidelines have been approved.
