Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The adjustments to pay for people in receipt of salaries similar to grades in the Civil Service affected those advisers as they did everyone else. They had to take cuts in pay, as was the case in other related grades. That goes without saying.

On the question of responsibilities, Mr. Oliver O'Connor, special adviser, provides advice to the Minister for Health and Children and more generally to the Government on health policy matters, which covers a wide range of reform. Reform is necessary. We have seen huge and continuing reforms in the health service, including improvements in cancer care services and so on. Administrative reform must also be proceeded with.

In the context of the total overall spend in Government, including an exclusively public service pay bill of one third of the total of more than €50 billion - we are speaking in this regard of €19,000 million in salaries - the amount of money expended in terms of bringing in advice from outside to supplement and augment this is minuscule when compared to the overall cost of the full complement of civil and other public servants available to advise Government in a whole range of areas.

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