Written answers
Tuesday, 12 February 2019
Department of Finance
Ministerial Advisers Data
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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171. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of advisers and special advisers employed by his Department in 2017 and 2018 and to date in 2019; the areas of expertise covered by such advisers; the annual salaries associated with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6571/19]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that Ministerial appointments in the Department of Finance are 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 salary scale for Special Advisers to a Minister are as follows:
Principal Officer (Standard) PPC Pay Scale (as of 1st October 2018)
Payscales
| €85,823 | €89,356 | €92,862 | €96,395 | €99,375 | €102,465 | €105,552 |
The information on Special Advisers in my Department, requested by the Deputy are shown in the following table.
| Minister or Minister of State | Name of Special Adviser | Commencement date of Special Adviser | Cessation date of Special Adviser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform | Deborah Sweeney | Appointed 06/05/2016 | N/A |
| Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform | Stephen Lynam | Appointed 06/05/2016 | 16/03/2018 |
| Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform | Ed Brophy | Appointed 12/02/2018 | N/A |
| Michael D'Arcy, Minister of State (with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance) | Barry Harrington, Civil Servant | Appointed 12/02/2018 | N/A |
| Deputy Michael Noonan, former Minister for Finance | Mary Kenny | Re-appointed 10/03/2016 | 14/06/2017 |
| Deputy Michael Noonan, former Minister for Finance | Sean Kinsella, Civil Servant | Appointed 13/06/2016 | 14/06/2017 |
From the list of Advisers above the Advisers currently being paid by the Department of Finance are:
| Name | Minister/Minister of State | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Mr Ed Brophy | Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform | €99,375 = 5th point Principal Officer (Standard) PPC |
| Ms Deborah Sweeney | Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform | €99,375 = 5th point Principal Officer (Standard) PPC. The cost of this post is shared equally with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform. |
| Mr Barry Harrington | Minister of State D'Arcy | €83,498 = 5th point Assistant Principal (Higher) PPC |
Special Advisers are appointed under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. A Special Adviser to a Minister or to a Minister of State, as in the case may be, shall
(a)assist the Minister or Minister of State, as the case may be, by –
(i)providing advice,
(ii)Monitoring, facilitating and securing the achievement of the Government objectives that relate to the Department, as requested by the Minister or the Minister of State, as the case may be, and
(iii) Performing such other functions as may be directed by the Minister or the Minister of State, as the case may be that are not otherwise provided for in this Act and do not involve the exercise of any specific powers conferred on the Minister or the Minister of State as the case may be or any other office holder by or under any other Act.
The appointments of Advisers are kept under review given the breath of my responsibilities across two Departments.
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