Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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14. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of political staff employed in her Department, including parliamentary assistants, secretarial assistants, special advisers, drivers and other relevant positions; the number of civil or public service staff seconded to work within her Department or constituency offices; the salaries and job titles of each such person; and the duty or role of each, in each of the years 2015 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [36956/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Staffing numbers in the offices of Government Ministers and Ministers of State are managed in line with Instructions issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER).  This includes both civil servants and ministerial personal appointments. Civil Service staff are assigned to Ministers’ Private Offices and also the Constituency Office in recognition of the additional workload required of Ministers. Under the current Instructions, the staffing complement each Minister or Minister of State had in their capacity as a Member of the Oireachtas remains in place and these staff remain on the payroll of the Oireachtas.

The staffing of my offices in my capacity as Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, and that of my Minister of State colleagues, and our predecessors who are covered by the years 2015 and 2016, is as set out below in tabular format. Details for 2015 and 2016 reflect the numbers in post at the end of the year in question and display the salary scales at that time. 2017 details reflect the numbers in post at present and set out the current salary scales. In this regard the Standard (PPC) Salary Scales have been referred to as a matter of course for the purpose of consistency. For more information on the various Civil Service salary scales currently in place please visit and circular 8 of 2017.

In addition to the details below, I can advise the Deputy that in my capacity as Tánaiste and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation I have a sanctioned complement of three Special Advisers. Also in that capacity, two Garda drivers are assigned to me.  I have not included these Gardaí in the table below because the salary costs are not borne by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

My colleague, John Halligan, TD, Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, has one Special Adviser. For administrative reasons, Minister of State Halligan's Special Adviser and civilian drivers are assigned to the staffing complement of the Department of Education and Skills where Minister Halligan is also assigned and are recorded on the payroll of that Department; they are therefore not included in the table below. Similarly the civilian drivers are not listed for Damien English, TD, former Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation at my Department, as they were also assigned to the staffing complement of the Department of Education and Skills.

Finally, the Department has a Press Office in situ staffed by Departmental civil servants - generally 4 in number - who support the Ministerial team. However, these are not listed in the table below as they are not "political staff".

Ministerial Staffing Complement at 8th September 2017

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

1The appointment of a third Special Adviser is currently in progress.

2As Tánaiste I am assigned the services of 2 Garda drivers but the associated salary costs are not borne by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

Minister Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection

Minister John Halligan, Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development

Ministerial Staffing Complement at December 2016

Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Minister Pat Breen, Minister of State for Employment and Small Business

Minister John Halligan, Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation

Ministerial Staffing Complement at December 2015

Minister Richard Bruton as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Minister Ged Nash then Minister of State (attending Cabinet) for Business and Employment

Minister Damien English, Minister of State for Skills, Research and Innovation