Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised)
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Many of those people have worked in the delivery of policy in a whole variety of different areas, including the Department of Health, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; some worked for a previous Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. This idea that they are new to policymaking is something that I reject.
In regard to housing, when you are in government obviously you appoint political advisers on housing to the Department of Housing. There are advisers to the Minister for housing and to the Ministers of State in the Department. The job of Taoiseach is to co-ordinate the delivery of all of these. I do not believe any Taoiseach has ever had a line policy adviser with expertise on every single area of government.