Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask a few questions on the Taoiseach's own Vote and I will keep the CSO and the legal offices separate. The Vote in the Taoiseach's Department has gone from €21 million to €27 million this year, a 26% increase. How much of the €27 million would be attributable to special advisers and people who are not permanent public servants operating in the Department?

Second, there is a new figure in the Vote of €500,000 for data protection under the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy. How does new departure in the Taoiseach's Department gel with the role of the Data Protection Commissioner? Is the Taoiseach not happy with it or does he think it needs beefing up? Why could that €500,000 not be dealt with by the Data Protection Commissioner rather than by the Taoiseach's Department? Why did he have to put someone from his Department especially on the job?

While we are on the issue of data protection and given that the Taoiseach's Department has taken a direct interest in it with the special allocation for data protection, will people be required to give their PPS numbers to get the water conservation grant? I am reading from the briefing note on data protection and privacy. The Taoiseach's Department has a direct role in the data protection and data privacy area, so will PPS numbers be required?

The Taoiseach mentioned the centenary of the Easter Rising at the GPO on Sunday, 27 March 2016. The Taoiseach might tell us if the general election will have been held by then. Has he a date for that?