Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I was referring to the Department of the Taoiseach and I was quite clear about that. There was no movement away from that. Does the funding continue? Why is that the sole Department from which moneys are made available to cover particular advisers? On that occasion, the Taoiseach also said that advisers give added value to Departments. What added value can the Taoiseach point to in regard to any of the advisers funded by the Department of the Taoiseach at the Department of Health and Children? Were they involved in the debacle of the botched planning of the national children's hospital? Last March, the Taoiseach stated that spending on advisers is not excessive in the circumstances. He cited the returns with regard to seven advisers at that point. Surely, albeit that there are only six currently, from what the Taoiseach has already told us in his reply, does he not think that efficiencies in the public service must begin at the top and that this is an excessive number? Is there call or justification for special advisers to be brought in when there is clearly a resource available to the Taoiseach in his permanent staff in the Department, as there is in all other Departments; people who have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge from their exposure in permanency going through a series of Governments who would be in a position to offer the critical advice one would think the Taoiseach might require from time to time?

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