Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the estimate she has made of the cost of paying salaries and pension contributions for additional Ministers of State appointed by her in 2007; the cost of same for staff assigned to each additional Minister for State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30160/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Prior to the formation of the current Government in June of this year there were three Ministers of State attached to my Department — the former Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan; the former Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health and Disability Services, Deputy Tim O'Malley; and the former Minister of State with responsibility for Services for Older People, Health Promotion and Food Safety, Deputy Seán Power. Following the formation of the current Government the Taoiseach appointed four Ministers of State to this Department — the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brendan Smith; the Minister of State with responsibility for Health Promotion and Food Safety, Deputy Pat Gallagher; the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Issues and Mental Health, excluding discrimination, Deputy Jimmy Devins; and the Minister of State with responsibility for Older People, Deputy Máire Hoctor. These appointments reflect the commitment of this Government to the priority it is giving to these key areas of health policy. As the areas of responsibility of the three previous Ministers of State have been re-allocated it is not possible to identify one specific additional appointment. However, for the Deputy's information I am providing in the tables which follow this reply details of the number of civil servants and other staff in the private and constituency offices of each Minister of State assigned to my Department.

The annual salary costs identified in the table do not include Employers' PRSI or an additional pension payment of 11% paid in respect of a personal pension for a special adviser to the Minister of State, Deputy Smith. The annual salary costs quoted in respect of each Minister of State are exclusive of their TD's salary which is paid by the Oireachtas.