Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the annual cost of the salaries of any recently appointed ministerial Garda drivers to her Department; the cost of the annual salary of the existing civilian Garda drivers in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9036/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I do not currently have any Ministerial Garda drivers employed in my Department. 

The appointment of civilian drivers in my Department are made in line with the Government guidelines “Instructions to HR Managers on Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil” and the “Guidelines on the Staffing of Ministerial Offices for the 33rd Dáil’’.

I have responsibility for both the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Department of Social Protection meets the cost of one of my civilian drivers and one civilian driver for Minister of State O’Brien, who has been assigned certain responsibilities in this Department.

The annual salary for the two civilian drivers concerned is €38,678.95 each per annum.