Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 487: To ask the Minister for Education and Science in respect of each Minister of State within her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [42725/06]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 488: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of staff broken down by grade employed within her private office and her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [42740/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together.

There are currently 9 staff working in my private office and 5.5 staff working in my constituency office, as follows:

Private Office:

1 Principal Officer

1 Private Secretary at Higher Executive Officer level

2 Executive Officers

4 Clerical Officers

1 Special Adviser at Principal Officer level.

Constituency Office:

1 Higher Executive Officer

1 Staff Officer (working on a half time basis)

2 Clerical Officers

1 Personal Assistant at Higher Executive Officer level

1 Personal Secretary.

All these staff are permanent civil servants except for my Special Adviser, Personal Assistant and Personal Secretary. The annual cost of these offices in 2006 was as follows:

Private Office: €444,463.84

Constituency Office: €205,958.42.

There are four staff working in the Minister of State's private office and four in the constituency office.

Private Office:

1 Private Secretary at Higher Executive Officer level

1 Executive Officer

2 Clerical Officers.

Constituency Office:

1 Staff Officer

2 Clerical Officers

1 Personal Secretary.

All of these staff except the Personal Secretary are permanent civil servants. The annual cost of these offices in 2006 was as follows:

Private Office: €166,125.30

Constituency Office: €109,224.17 (cost of Personal Secretary up to 8 December only).

The amount paid in respect of salary, overtime and expenses for these staff is in accordance with the salary scales and travel and subsistence rates approved by the Department of Finance.