Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of civil servants who have worked in the constituency offices of the Minister and her junior Ministers since 1997 to date in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20056/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Guidelines issued by the Department of Finance specify that

the number of staff in a Minister's and a Minister of State's Constituency Office may not exceed 6 and 5 respectively

the number of staff in a Minister's and a Minister of State's Private Office may not exceed 10 and 7 respectively and

where a Minister of State is assigned to more than one Department, the total number of staff between all Private Offices may not exceed 9. (There should be only one Constituency Office with a maximum of 5 staff)

The historic information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of civil servants who have worked in the constituency offices of the Minister and Ministers of State is not readily available. The following table details the number of civil servants (wholetime equivalents) working in my office and the offices of the Ministers of State in this Department on 5th May 2008.