Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if, having regard to his statutory functions in relation to the administration and business generally of the public finance of the State and, in particular, having regard to his function in ensuring that no issues from the Central Fund are made without proper statutory authority, he is satisfied that established civil servants employed in a Department of State may be validly employed to deal solely with constituency representations addressed to the Minister who is head of that Department of State or to a Minister of State at that Department, as opposed to those civil servants having a role in relation to the carrying out or performance of the powers, duties or functions of that Department; the criteria applying to the approval by him of public funds for the employment of established civil servants for such purposes; the statutory basis relied upon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29563/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of the employment of civil servants on constituency work for Ministers and Ministers of State is to enable Ministers and Ministers of State to devote their time to their Departmental duties, both at national and international (including EU) level, while at the same time enabling them to provide an appropriate service to their constituents in their capacity as public representatives. This purpose has long been recognised by all political parties that have served in Government.

The Minister and Secretaries Act 1924 (section 2) authorises Ministers to appoint staff to their Departments, with the sanction of the Minister for Finance. The Civil Service Regulation Act 1956 (section 17) makes the Minister for Finance responsible for the control and regulation of the civil service.

My Department circulated Guidelines to Departments in 1997 which consolidated arrangements which had been in place up to then in relation to the staffing of Ministerial Offices. These Guidelines limit the number of staff who may serve in constituency offices to six in the case of Ministers and five in the case of Ministers of State, and provide that no more than two of these in each case may be personal appointees (i.e. not established civil servants). The Guidelines were updated in 2002 and again this year.