Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Finance 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 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. [46468/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that I have two Special Advisers who are on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's payroll. Both Special Advisers are compensated on the third point of the Principal Officer PPC Scale at a rate of €88,392. The Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will share the cost of these salaries.

Ms Deborah Sweeney was appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 6 September 2017 with effect from 15 June 2017, in accordance with SI Ref No. 399 of 2017.

Mr Stephen Lynam was appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 6 September 2017 with effect from 15 June 2017, also in accordance with SI Ref. No 399 of 2017.

The Government Order S180/20/10/0314K approving their re-appointment is dated 6 September 2017 and covered the period from 15 June 2017. Both Special Advisors are subject to the Official Secrets Act, 1963.

Both Ms Sweeney and Mr Lynam were Special Advisers to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform immediately prior to their re-appointment. The appointments were made in line with “Instructions to Personnel Officers - Ministerial Appointments for the 32nd Dáil” which include “Guidelines on staffing of Ministerial offices” issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Department of Finance is currently preparing the Order to appoint Ms Sweeney and Mr Lynam as Special Advisers to me as Minister for Finance.

Minister of State D'Arcy does not currently have a Special Adviser appointed.