Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1160. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the names of the special advisers employed in his Department; the names of special advisers to Ministers of State 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 whom they were appointed; 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 effective 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. [46474/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My Department employs two Special Advisers; Mr. Daniel Rowan, with effect from 14 August 2017 by Government order dated 6 September 2017, and Mr. Seamus O'Ceallachain with effect from 11 September 2017, by Government order dated 19 October 2017. Both Special Advisers are appointed to my office and were not Advisers immediately prior to taking up their current roles.

The costs to the Exchequer relating to the salaries of both Special Advisers do not exceed the maximum of the Principal Officer standard scale and are published on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Both Mr. Rowan and Mr. O'Ceallachain have been paid since the first day of their appointment, prior to Government order. Their salaries are currently being processed by the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht and the Department of Education and Skills under an interim agreement which is in place until financial shared service arrangements have been finalised for my Department.

Both Special Advisers have access to confidential material and Cabinet papers necessary to fulfil their duty and both are also subject to the Official Secrets Act 1963.