Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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60. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the public sector posts, including posts in commercial State companies and posts as Government advisers, that he has approved a breach of a pay-cap for. [1949/16]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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In June 2011, the Government introduced a general pay ceiling of €200,000  for future appointments to higher positions across the public service and a general pay ceiling of €250,000 forfuture appointments to CEO posts within Commercial State Companies. No sanctions have been issued for new appointments in excess of these pay ceilings. 

When considering how to best implement a reduction in pay to CEOs in a fair and balanced manner, I decided that instead of just applying a €250,000 cap, which is a crude instrument that only affects pay rates above that figure, I would reduce the salary ranges that apply to CEO salaries which has the effect of both reducing the salary for all CEOs in an proportionate manner while maintaining the "weightings" between each Company.

The appointment of Special Advisers requires the approval of Government in accordance with section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Special Advisers have been employed by Ministers of successive Governments and perform an essential function in providing expert advice, expertise and insights on the key strategic issues facing Ministers.

The current Guidelines provide that Special Advisers are to be placed on the Principal Officer (standard) scale, which currently runs from €75,647 at the minimum to €87,258 at the maximum. They provide that appointments are to be on the first point on the scale except where I approve a higher starting salary. Therefore, in cases where a Special Adviser's basic pay prior to the appointment was greater than the minimum of the Principal Officer (standard scale), it is open to Ministers to seek sanction from me to appoint the person to a higher starting salary.  

I would like to point out that that separate arrangements may apply to the staffing requirements of the Offices of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste.