Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 118: To ask the Taoiseach the number of programme managers, special advisers, policy assistants, personnel on secondment and other personnel who are not part of the existing Civil Service who make up his Department, including permanent civil servants attached to the office of the Minister and Ministers of State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33215/07]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is one Programme Manager employed in my Department who is my Special Advisor. I have three Special Advisors, the Government Chief Whip has one Special Advisor and the Minister of State for European Affairs also has one Special Advisor. In addition, the Government Press Secretary and two Deputy Government Press Secretaries are employed by my Department. Of the seven Personal Assistants in my Department, four are permanent civil servants. I do not have policy assistants. Fifteen staff are seconded into my Department as a result of Cross-Departmental recruitment arrangements for specific purposes, none of whom is a political appointee.

The seconded staff are assigned to various Divisions within my Department including the Government Chief Whip's Office, the Government Press Office, the Communications Unit, the Organisational Review Programme Team and the EU and International Affairs Division. Currently, there are 25 contract staff in my Department, 18 of whom are political appointees. The total number of core staff is 196. Of the 12 staff assigned to the Government Chief Whip's constituency and private offices, nine are civil servants. The other Minister of State in my Department has a staff of four, three of whom are permanent civil servants.