Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs in respect of each Minister of State within his Department the number of staff broken down by grade employed within their private office and their constituency office; the number of staff who are permanent civil servants; the number who are political appointees; the annual cost of each such office in terms of salary, overtime and expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42732/06]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 385: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of staff broken down by grade employed within his private office and his constituency office; the number of staff who are permanent civil servants; the number who are political appointees; the annual cost of each such office in terms of salary, overtime and expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42747/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together.

There are ten staff employed in my private office. These include 8 administrative staff, a Press Adviser and a Special Adviser. The 8 administrative staff are all established civil servants, one Higher Executive Officer, 1.5 Executive Officers and 5.5 Clerical Officers.

The Higher Executive Officer is on a payscale of €42,180 to €53,541 with a Private Secretary allowance of €18,742 per annum. The Executive Officers are on a payscale of €27,692 to €43,944 adjusted proportionally in the case of the work sharing officer. 1 Clerical Officer is on a pay scale of €21,974 to €34,786 (Clerical Officer Higher Scale) adjusted accordingly to take account of work sharing. 3 of the Clerical Officers are on a pay scale of €20,996 to €34,049 (Class B rate of PRSI contribution applies). The other 2 Clerical Officers are on a payscale of €22,102 to €35,838 (Class A rate of PRSI contribution applies as they commenced employment after 6 April 1995). The total overtime costs and expenses incurred to date in 2006 for the administrative staff in this office are €16,165 and €6,862 respectively.

The Press Adviser and Special Adviser were appointed by me on a contract basis for my term of office. The Press Adviser is on a personal salary of €103,563 together with a private pension contribution of 11% of salary. The Special Adviser is on a Principal Officer payscale of up to €90,770. The total expenses incurred to date in 2006 by my Press Adviser and Special Adviser are €21,747 and €12,452, respectively. No overtime costs have been incurred by these officers who are on call on a seven day per week basis.

There are a total of six full-time administrative staff assigned to deal with matters in my constituency office. There are four established civil servants, one Executive Officer on a payscale of €27,692 to €43,944 and three Clerical Officers on a payscale of €22,102 to €35,838. The total overtime costs incurred to date in 2006 for the administrative staff in this office are €3,357. No expenses have been incurred to date in 2006 by these officers.

I have also appointed, on a contract basis for my term of office, two non-established civil servants, a Personal Secretary and a Personal Assistant. The annual salary for my Personal Secretary is €40,520. My Personal Assistant is on secondment from the Department of Education and Science. That Department will recoup from my Department on an annual basis the cost of a replacement teacher's salary, allowances, PRSI contributions and superannuation contributions. This will be in the region of €44,800.The total expenses incurred to date in 2006 by my Personal Assistant and Personal Secretary are €840. No overtime costs have been incurred to date in 2006 by these officers. The rates of pay shown are exclusive of the 3% pay increase provided for with effect from 1 December 2006 under the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. There is no Minister of State in my Department.