Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1955. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of political staff employed in his Department, including parliamentary assistants, secretarial assistants, special advisers, drivers and other relevant positions; the number of civil or public service staff seconded to work in his Department or constituency offices; the salaries and job titles of each such person; the duty or role of each, in each of the years 2015 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36952/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

All political appointments to my Department in the period referred to have been made in accordance with the relevant Guidelines and Instructions on Ministerial Appointments for the 31st and 32nd Dáil.

Under the terms of the Guidelines, the role of Personal Assistants and Personal Secretaries is to provide assistance to or for the office holder who selected them for appointment.

With effect from the 32nd Dáil, Parliamentary Assistants and Secretarial Assistants are no longer employed by specific Government Departments but instead are directly employed by the Houses of the Oireachtas. 

Seconded staff have generally acted as clerical and administrative support in Minister or Ministers of State constituency offices with the exception of two individuals who acted as Private Secretaries (to Minister Kelly and Minister of State English) and who were seconded from other Government Departments. Otherwise, staff working in the Ministers' departmental offices have been departmental staff and not on secondment.

In the case of Special Advisers the duties are set out in Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The information requested as regards numbers and salary is set out in the following tables.

31st Dail (2015/2016)

Minister Alan Kelly – Political Appointments

**This post also carries an allowance of €19,653 per annum in respect of extra attendance etc.

In addition to the above, Minister Kelly appointed a temporary replacement in situ for one Special Adviser who was absent on unpaid long term sick leave toward the end of his term.

Minister of State Paudie Coffey – Political Appointments

32nd Dail (2016/2017)

Minister Simon Coveney – Political Appointments

Minister of State Damien English – Political Appointments

**This post also carries an allowance of €19,653 per annum in respect of extra attendance etc

Minister Eoghan Murphy – Political Appointments

Minister of State John Paul Phelan – Political Appointments