Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I note from media reports that Dr. Patrick Geoghegan, a noted historian, has joined the Taoiseach's team.

His influence is self-evident from all of the references to history in recent times, which is to be welcomed. I would like to get an idea of the Taoiseach's thinking. It is clear that he has not recruited everybody he requires as of yet, but what are the component parts of the advisory team that he is seeking to recruit? I take it that he will seek to recruit an economic adviser. His predecessor had quite an influential economic adviser. The norm is that the Taoiseach would have oversight of the economic performance of each Department and I would be interested to know the totality of the support team that he envisages having around him.

On the issue of the Minsters of State, we are now in the unprecedented position of having four Ministers of State with the right to attend at Cabinet. I raised the issue of payments to be made to those Ministers of State. I understand that a statutory instrument will be required to pay any additional allowance over the basic Minister of State rate. Is it the intention of the Taoiseach or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to bring such an instrument to the House or are the four Ministers of State simply to be paid the normal Minister of State rate? If there is to be a statutory instrument, is it envisaged that the Taoiseach will select two of the four Ministers of State in order to comply with the law?

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