Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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295. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform 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 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. [46473/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

I wish to inform the Deputy that there are currently two Special Advisers employed in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Ms Deborah Sweeney was appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with effect from 15 June 2017 on 6 September 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 with effect from 15 June 2017 on 6 September 2017, 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 Special Advisers are compensated on the third point of the Principal Officer PPC Scale at a rate of €88,392.

Both Ms Sweeney and Mr Lynam were Special Advisers to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform immediately prior to their re-appointment and their roles and responsibilities would have not had any significant change. 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 my Department.

Following the resignation of the former Taoiseach, Minister Paschal Donohoe was also deemed to have resigned but carried out his duties until the new Taoiseach was appointed, i.e. 14 June 2017. Paschal Donohoe T.D. was re-appointed as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with effect from 15 June 2017.

As the Special Advisers were re-appointed to their positions, they remained on the payroll between the appointment effective date of 15 June 2017 and the order date of 6 September 2017.

Patrick O’Donovan TD and Michael D'Arcy TD were appointed Ministers of State at the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform on 20 June 2017. The Ministers of State at my Department do not currently have Special Advisers appointed.

Office of Public Works

In accordance with the Government Order, S.I. No. 607 of 2016, Mr. Eugene Deering was appointed Special Adviser to Sean Canney, former Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, with effect from 15 November, 2016.  The Order was dated 13 December, 2016 and covered the period from 15 November, 2016. Mr. Deering was placed on an annual salary of €65,000 from 15 November, 2017 and was subject to the Official Secrets Act, 1963.

Following the resignation of Minister Canney on 3 June, 2017, Mr. Deering’s contract ended.  The new Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin “Boxer” Moran, appointed with effect from 3 June, 2017, required Mr. Deering to be his Special Adviser.  Mr. Deering remained on the payroll from 3 June, 2017, with the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, pending the making of a Government Order.

Following the resignation of the former Taoiseach, Minister Kevin “Boxer” Moran was deemed to have resigned but carried out his duties until the new Taoiseach was appointed, i.e. 14 June, 2017.

Kevin “Boxer” Moran, T.D., was re-appointed as Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief with effect from 20 June, 2017.  Mr. Deering was not paid for the period 15 June, 2017 to 19 June, 2017 (both dates inclusive) and was issued with a new contract effective from 20 June, 2017. A Government Order S.I. No. 416 of 2017 appointed Mr. Deering as Special Adviser to Kevin “Boxer” Moran, with effect from 20 June, 2017.  The Order was signed on 6 September, 2017.