Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We all accept the Taoiseach and Ministers require staff in their private offices to do the job that has to be done and respond to public enquires and so on. We also accept there is a necessity for policy advisers to provide advice of a political nature to Ministers. I do not know why there is a necessity to have the numbers we now have. It is a mystery as the Government has been in office for almost 12 years.

The area of employment which requires more scrutiny is the extent of the employment of people whose job is the publicity and promotion of the Minister concerned and who do constituency work for that Minister. It seems that many of the additional staff employed in private and constituency offices of Ministers are doing precisely that and are doing constituency work above and beyond what the normal allocation would be for any Deputy in the House. In the present circumstances, and given what is being done with public service pay and pensions, that is a luxury which can no longer be afforded.

How will the 3% cut announced last July apply to the staff employed in constituency offices of Ministers? Yesterday's announcement concerned a levy on pensions. Is there any corresponding cut or reduction in staff numbers which would take effect in that area? My final point is on the proposal made during the Christmas recess by Senator Boyle that there should be a reduction in the number of Ministers of State. Does the Taoiseach have any intention of going along with that suggestion? What is his response to it?

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