Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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762. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the appointment of additional special advisers by her and Ministers of State in her Department. [37891/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The appointment of Special Advisers to my Department is governed by “Instructions” issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) and requires the approval of Government.

Within those guidelines, I currently have one Special Adviser reporting directly to me and the Guidelines allow for two.

In addition, my colleague, Minister of State John Halligan, T.D, has recently received approval to appoint a Special Adviser. However, for administrative reasons, Minister of State Halligan appears on the staffing complement of the Department of Educations and Skills where he is also assigned and, therefore, his Special Adviser will be on the payroll of that Department also.