Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

937. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the names of the special advisers employed in his Department; the names of special advisers to junior ministers in his Department; the annual salary of each adviser; if these persons were special advisers immediately prior to taking up their current role or immediately prior to the June 2017 Cabinet reshuffle; if so, the minister to which they were appointed to; the date each special adviser was appointed with effect as stated in the government order; the date of the Government order; if they received a salary for the period before the appointment order was signed in the case of special advisers whose appointment order date has an effect date earlier than the order date; if so, by whom they were paid; if a special adviser during a period later backdated by appointment order had access to confidential material and or Cabinet papers; if they were subject to the Official Secrets Act 1963 during this period; if any persons currently employed as special advisers have not yet been appointed by order since the Cabinet reshuffle of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46460/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As of Friday 3 November, the names of my special advisers within the Department are: Ms. Aine Kilroy and Mr. Jonathon Hoare.  There is currently no special adviser assigned to Minister Doyle.  Both Ms. Kilroy and Mr. Hoare were in there respective roles prior to the Cabinet reshuffle of June 2017. 

The current salary scale for Ministerial Advisers is: Special Advisor (Principal Officer) €79,401.00 - €91,624.00 

The date of appointment of Ms. Kilroy and Mr. Hoare as stated in the Government Order is 14 June 2017. The order was signed on 19 September 2017. 

It is my understanding that there is no clear prohibition on the retrospective appointment of Special Advisers. Furthermore there is no general prohibition on making statutory provisions retrospective, unless they interfere with established rights and in the case of an administrative difficulty, it is both permissible and common to apply the provision retrospectively. 

All Ministerial advisers are subject to the Official Secrets Act.