Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the names of the special advisers employed in her Department; the names of special advisers to junior ministers in her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [46461/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I have the services of three Special Advisers, details of whom are available through the Department of Public Expenditure website, but are set out in the table format for the Deputy’s information. These are the only Special Advisers employed by my Department.

Payment of salary has been made by my Department as appropriate to the respective start dates of each individual pending the receipt of the Government Decisions. All such appointments are immediately notified to the Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform in advance of the administrative process to progress an appointment via Government Decision and implement pay arrangements.

From the date of their appointment, each Special Adviser fulfils the full duties of the role which includes access to confidential material and Cabinet papers, and is subject to the Official Secrets Act 1963 as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2014.