Mairéad Farrell
Ceist:85. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of special advisers employed in each Department; and the annual salary of each in tabular form. [23170/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 10 September 2020
Ceisteanna (85, 86)
Mairéad Farrell
Ceist:86. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of special adviser positions in each Department; and the number currently vacant in tabular form. [23171/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together.
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 appointment of Special Advisers is subject to Section 11 of the Public Services Management Act 1997.
The Guidelines for the appointment of Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil were approved by Government last month and have been published by my Department on the gov.ie website at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/9ad159-special-advisers-pay/
These Guidelines, which are consistent with those applying to the 32nd Dáil, set out the number of Special Advisors that each Minister or Minister of State may appoint and the associated rates of pay to apply to Special Advisors on appointment.
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. Special Advisers to Ministers of State are to be placed on the Assistant Principal Officer (Standard) PPC scale: currently €67,659 - €78,816.
The appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister, subject to the terms of the aforementioned Guidelines, although the appointments are also subject to formal Government approval in accordance with Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The process to formally appoint Special Advisors, following recent approval of the Guidelines, is presently underway.
Once formally appointed by Government Order, the Contract for each Special Advisor must be laid before the Oireachtas by each Minister and the rate of pay for each Special Advisor also notified to my Department. In line with established practice, my Department will prepare and publish a List of Special Advisors, to include salary information, at the aforementioned gov.ie website once the formal appointment of all Special Advisors has concluded.