Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has previously said that this is a crucial position. We are still in economic difficulties and many citizens across every sector are under huge economic pressure. There is a housing and homelessness emergency and pressure in the public services, especially the health services. Brexit will not ease those economic difficulties but will increase them and the entire construct of successive Government policies will change. I do not know whether there is someone who could bring a focus to these issues or whether the Taoiseach should consider filling this position because his record on all these issues has been extremely poor. At the least, he needs to give us an explanation as to why a post which he said was absolutely crucial has not been filled, notwithstanding the difficulties we have and which may well worsen in the time ahead.

This question will be redundant if the Taoiseach does not appoint a new economic adviser, but if he does so, I ask that it be at the appropriate salary scale and will not breach the current levels. The former economic adviser was gifted over €60,000 in excess of the salary cap for such appointments, as was the case with others appointed by Labour Party Ministers in the previous Government. I welcome that new guidelines on advisers' salary scales have been brought in by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and there is now a different level of transparency. If the Taoiseach does not intend to fill this post, why is that? If he changes his mind, will it be at the appropriate salary scale and will he ensure the salary will not breach the guidelines?

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