Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together.

There are 12 non-established civil servants, including contract staff, currently employed in my Department and in my Tullamore constituency office. Mr. Joe Lennon is my programme manager, and Professor Peter Clinch, Mr. Gerry Steadman, Mr. Brian Murphy and Mr. Declan Ryan are my special advisers.

Under the direction of the programme manager, the primary function of the special advisers is to monitor, facilitate and help secure the achievement of Government objectives and to ensure effective co-ordination in the implementation of the programme for Government. They are also tasked with giving me advice and keeping me informed on a wide range of issues, including business, financial, economic, political, environmental, administrative and media matters, and performing such other functions as may be directed by me from time to time. In addition, several of my advisers have specific responsibilities in regard to speech drafting. My programme manager meets other ministerial advisers on a weekly basis. He monitors and reports to me on progress in implementing the programme for Government.

The Government Chief Whip has four non-established civil servants employed in my Department and in his Finglas constituency office. The two constituency staff are work sharers. Mr. Padraig Slyne is the special adviser to the Government Chief Whip.

There is one Government press secretary, Mr. Eoghan Ó Neachtain, and two deputy Government press secretaries, Mr. Mark Costigan and Mr. John Downing. These are supported by two non-established civil servants. The Government press secretary and press officers provide an information service on Government policy to the public through the national and international media on behalf of myself, my Department and the Government, together with promoting a co-ordinated approach to media matters across all Departments. The central task of the deputy Government press secretaries is to assist the Government press secretary in communicating to the media the decisions of Government.

The personal assistants and personal secretaries in my Department have a range of duties, including providing administrative assistance in the constituency office, the protocol division and the Government Chief Whip's office. The Green Party programme manager, based in Government Buildings, is not a member of staff of my Department.

The political advisers in my Department are appointed in accordance with the terms of the Civil Service (Regulation) Act 2006 and the relevant directions of the Department of Finance.

My Department currently employs nine non-established civil servants. These are its librarian, five UCC students on internships, two temporary clerical officers who are replacing Department staff on term time, and one civilian driver assigned to the Leader of the Seanad. The librarian in my Department has responsibility for the management of the library and information services in the Department.

The five UCC students currently on placement in my Department are being given an opportunity to complete the work experience module of the UCC B.Sc. in government and public policy 2008.

Term-time working provides for leave for the purpose of allowing working parents or primary carers to match their working arrangements to the main summer holidays of their children, or to care for a person who resides with them and who has a disability which gives rise to the need for care on a continuing or frequent basis. Under this term-time scheme, my Department has taken on two temporary clerical officers on a 15-week contract basis to cover for permanent staff who are availing of term time over the summer months.

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