Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 8: To ask the Taoiseach the procedures in place in his Department governing the employment of political advisers, press officers, personal assistants and other political appointees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32328/07]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 9: To ask the Taoiseach the procedures in place within his Department regarding the appointment of political staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34028/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 10: To ask the Taoiseach the appointment procedures in his Department for political advisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35284/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 11: To ask the Taoiseach the duties and responsibilities of the special political advisers as appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3542/08]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 12: To ask the Taoiseach the number of political advisers or assistants appointed by the Attorney General; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3568/08]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 12, inclusive, together.

In employing special advisers, my Department complies with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act 1997 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, which lay down the terms and conditions of employment of special advisers.

Under these Acts and on foot of Government orders, advisers are appointed to unestablished or temporary positions. Furthermore, the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 apply to the appointment of special advisers and among other stipulations, it requires that they must leave office when the officeholder, to whom they are acting, ceases to hold office. There has been no increase in the number of special advisers who assist me in dealing with the complexities and volume in Government business. There has actually been a decrease of two.

Press officers are appointed to my Department through open competition advertised throughout the Civil Service. The Government press secretary and assistant Government press secretaries are appointed under the Department of Finance instructions relating to the appointment of ministerial private office staff. The guidelines advise on a range of issues, including terms and conditions of contracts, the need for specific sanction of appointments and the requirement for exclusion orders. These officers are appointed to their posts on the basis of their media backgrounds and expert knowledge.

Likewise, in the employment of personal assistants and personal secretaries, my Department abides by the procedures laid out in the guidelines issued by the Department of Finance and we comply fully with the requirements of the guidelines by following all due process in their recruitment.

Since the general election, four new political staff have been appointed to my Department. They are the Government press secretary, a deputy Government press secretary and a special adviser to the Government Chief Whip. The Green Party programme manager based in Government Buildings is not a member of staff in my Department but my Department has engaged a personal assistant to provide administrative assistance to him and the new deputy Government press secretary.

Under the direction of the programme manager, the primary function of the special advisers is to monitor, facilitate and help secure the achievement of Government objectives and ensure effective co-ordination in the implementation of the programme for Government.

They are also tasked with giving me advice and keeping me informed on a wide range of issues, including business, financial, economic, political, administrative and media matters and performing such other functions as may be directed by me from time to time.

Each of the advisers liaises with a number of Departments and acts as a point of contact in my Department for Ministers and their advisers. My advisers attend meetings of Cabinet committees and cross-departmental teams relevant to their responsibilities. They also liaise, on my behalf, with organisations and interest groups outside of Government.

Advisers assigned to the Government Chief Whip and the Minister of State provide advice to the Minister of State and monitor, facilitate and secure the achievement of Government objectives and relate to the Department of the Taoiseach as requested by the Minister of State.

My programme manager meets with other ministerial advisers on a weekly basis and monitors and reports to me on progress in implementing the programme for Government. On the recommendation of the Attorney General, Mr. Paul Gallagher, I appointed Mr. Francis Kieran as special assistant to the Attorney General to liaise between the Attorney General and me, and other Departments, on issues relevant to the programme for Government as well as to keep the Attorney General informed on items arising in the Oireachtas or the media which could impinge on, or be relevant to, his role. The position of Attorney General is not a political one and Mr. Kieran does not provide political advice.

I comply fully with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 and annually lay the statements of interests, qualifications and relationship before the Houses of the Oireachtas on behalf of advisers, the Government press secretary, deputy Government press secretaries, personal secretaries and personal assistants, as required. Each individual sends his or her return to the Standards in Public Office Commission in accordance with that legislation.

Last year two such returns were made in accordance with the ethics legislation, one for the calendar year 2006 and one following the general election. A further return was made last month covering the period from the general election to the end of 2007.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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What are the guidelines for limiting the numbers of staff to be appointed in the Taoiseach's Department or other Departments? Does the Taoiseach agree that since 2002 the number of senior staff appointed directly to Ministers has gone up from 34 to 43? The senior staff of the Minister for Education and Science, whom I welcome back to the House, did not increase whereas those of the Minister for Defence increased 100%, from one to two. The Minister for Health and Children made six appointments in 2007 at a cost of €666,561 at a time when nurses on maternity leave could not be replaced.

What are the restrictions on Ministers appointing staff to their offices and all that carry on? Is it true that there is a facility for every Minister to appoint 16 staff, including political advisers, programme managers, press officers, constituency people and so on? What are the restraints on the Taoiseach? His staff has been reduced from nine category one staff in 2002 to eight in 2007. Maybe that person went to the Office of the Minister of Defence. Are there restrictions or how does the Taoiseach tie the numbers back? The Minister for Health and Children does not seem to know what is going on in her Department, yet she has six advisers who cost €666,561 a year.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Is there no end to Deputy Kenny's talents?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I added up the figures while I was listening to the Taoiseach.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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When he answered similar questions last November the Taoiseach gave a list of the political staff and advisers employed in his Department. That does not include the staff employed in the constituency offices of the Taoiseach and respective Ministers of State. The total cost of the staff in the Taoiseach's Department is just over €1.5 million a year. We have some idea of the value of that cost to the Taoiseach but what is the value of that cost to the taxpayer?

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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When the Taoiseach last answered questions on these matters, he stated that there was a close working relationship between the Department of Finance, the Health Service Executive, his Department and the Department of Health and Children in respect of health matters. He advised me that one of his advisers attends a frequent series of meetings in that regard. Will he clarify whether it is the same adviser who attends that series of meetings in relation to health matters? Is it possible to identify that person and does he or she have a role in the formulation of policy in respect of health issues? Is part of his or her function the drawing up of briefings and reports for the Taoiseach particularly in relation to health matters discussed and determined at these cross-departmental engagements?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Paragraph A13 of the Vote for my Department covers the estimated total cost of special advisers' annual salaries, including the salary of my programme manager, which has been reduced from well over €1 million to €640,000 per annum because I have fewer advisers now. I thought Deputy Gilmore would have noted this for me, to show how much I have reduced it.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is beginning to show as well. The Taoiseach could do with some more advice.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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It did not do Dick Spring much good when he had a clatter of them.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The reason is that as I no longer deal with the day to day issues on Northern Ireland, I do not need as many people. I have a programme manager and three special advisers who are covered across the Department. All the staff in my constituency office, except for one junior position, are civil servants. I have given the information on press officers.

On Deputy Kenny's question, all Ministers are subject to the Department of Finance guidelines. There is one programme manager per party and one adviser per Minister. A limited number of Ministers of State, based on their responsibilities, have an adviser. The number of senior positions has been reduced quite significantly. Years ago my Department had ten contracted advisers, programme managers and special advisers, not including the special Office of the Tánaiste. During the last Government, there were 26 contracted advisers, programmer managers and special advisers across all Departments, a number of whom were seconded civil servants. The number of senior positions at present stands at 24 compared with 55 a decade ago, which constitutes a huge decrease. However, perhaps Deputy Gilmore is right and we should employ more. However, I will try to resist that.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That concludes Taoiseach's Questions for today.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach did not respond to me in respect of the engagement of his adviser in that area.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am sure there will be another day to so do. We must now move on to questions nominated for priority to the Minister for Defence.