Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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561. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide details of the number of special advisors on his staff and their yearly salary from 2011 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43678/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Since my appointment as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in July 2014 I have appointed two Special Advisers in accordance with Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Both were appointed to the Principal Officer (Standard) Scale. There is a temporary replacement in situfor one of those Advisers who is absent on unpaid long term sick leave. The total salary costs for these Advisers for 2014 was €90,298.08 and to date in 2015 is €185,860. No Special Advisers were appointed in respect of my colleagues, Ministers of State Coffey or Phelan at my Department.

Previous to my appointment, my predecessor Minister Phil Hogan, who served as Minister from March 2011 to July 2014, appointed two Special Advisers. In addition, as a Minister of State who regularly attended Cabinet, the then Minister of State, Jan O'Sullivan also appointed two Special Advisers.

The following table sets out the total salary costs for all Special Advisers appointed to my Department from 2011 to date.

Total Salary Costs for Special Adviser 2011 – 2015