Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I applaud the Taoiseach's commitment to coherence and openness across the Government. However, I would caution that too many cooks can spoil the broth, as they say. It strikes me that this is a most irregular arrangement. Not alone will the Tánaiste have an office within the Department of An Taoiseach, but we will now have an office of the leader of the Green Party within the Department of An Taoiseach.

The Taoiseach has set out considerable resources. He referred to five or six special advisers for the Tánaiste. I presume that is by way of addition to whatever resources the Tánaiste will have in his line Department. The Taoiseach might clarify that. It is similar for the leader of the Green Party. Is that additional to the resources afforded to him as a senior Minister? Are there additional press resources for the Tánaiste and the leader of the Green Party as well?

Critically, what is all of this costing? How does this compare with previous Administrations?

The Taoiseach has appointed 20 Ministers of State, three of whom will sit at Cabinet. I understand, however, there are only two salaries. How will that particular loaves-and-fishes exercise work out? Who is going to lose out in that scenario? The Taoiseach might make that clear for us.

By way of final comment, I understand that responsibility for the coherence and overseeing of the implementation of the programme for Government falls to the Cabinet as a whole. I am very concerned that we now have a holy trinity of taoisigh, or at least a holy trinity of very senior actors, located in the Department of the Taoiseach at considerable expense to the taxpayer.

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