Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

355. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide a schedule of advisers, special advisers and seconded civil servants currently working in his Department appointed and-or recruited and-or in an acting capacity; the roles and responsibilities attributed to each; and the salary scale for the role in tabular form. [20619/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to inform the Deputy that on the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997.

The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil, which incorporate the principles of section 11 of the PMSA Act, are currently awaiting Government approval.

The appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the terms set out in the aforementioned guidelines, although the appointments are also subject to formal Government approval. At this stage, no Special Advisers have been formally appointed to my Department by the Government.

However, the Deputy may wish to note that I have assigned two persons to work with me as Special Advisers and those persons will be formally appointed by the Government once the Guidelines have been approved.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform must be notified of the rate of salary to be paid in all cases for Special Advisers; These rates will then be published on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

A breakdown of administrative staff seconded into the Department of Finance by grade is supplied in the table below. The staff in question operate in various roles with varying responsibilities appropriate to their grade across the structures of the Department. Staff seconded into the Department of Finance retain their existing terms and conditions of employment. Please see table below:

There are also a number of specialists seconded from the NTMA but these are not on the Department of Finance payroll.