Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

First, there has been much reduction in administrative costs in my Department the same as other Departments. The cost this year compared to last year is down 27%. From memory, the cost for 2009 compared to 2008 is down by over 20% and the reduction on the previous year is in the high teens.

The question arises as to whether one believes the Taoiseach should have any independent advice at all. If one does not believe the Taoiseach should get such advice I presume one would not agree with any of those expenditures. Anyone who is knowledgeable about the Department of the Taoiseach would recognise that there is a need for advisers to assist with all of the co-ordinating work that has to be done right across Government and a need for the Taoiseach's Department to promote cross-sectoral issues, be that in health or elsewhere.

The budget of the Department of Health and Children is more than €15 billion. Half of the funds collected this year in taxes is going on health. On the question of independent advice, sometimes if the argument suits, the criticism from the Opposition is that we are not taking outside advice but when we are talking outside advice we are told we should take inside advice exclusively. No matter what one does someone will have a view suggesting that this or that should not be done. The bottom line on the specific matters raised by Deputy Ó Caoláin is that the payments to the Department of the Taoiseach no longer continue as the person in receipt of that salary through the Department is no longer in the job. That is the answer to that question.

Deputy Ó Caoláin suggested in his first question, before the Ceann Comhairle's interruption, that €500,000 was being made available by my Department to the Department of Health and Children. That is not the case. There was never €500,000. The sum of €514,000 referred to by Deputy Kenny relates to money paid for through, I presume, the Department of Health and Children for staff employed directly in the Minister's office in the Department of Health and Children. I do not have the figures. Perhaps the Ceann Comhairle had not drifted quite as far as people suggested.

On the question of advisers in the Northern Ireland Executive, colleagues of the Deputy have many advisers as well. I do not see an objection in principle there. Perhaps a bit of consistency in this jurisdiction would not go astray.

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