Ministerial Staff

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Questions (71, 72)

Gary Gannon

Question:

71. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach the payments made or due to be made to advisers and staff of the former Taoiseach who left office on his resignation, in tabular form. [23794/24]

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72. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if staff who left on the resignation of the former Taoiseach or any other Minister and who were subsequently appointed to adviser roles by the current Taoiseach or other current Ministers are entitled to receive severance or termination payments; and if so, if any such were made or are scheduled to be made. [23795/24]

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Written answers

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.

Ministerial personal staff employed on temporary contracts are entitled to severance/ex-gratia payments, including statutory redundancy, when such contracts are terminated, including following a change of Government. The severance terms are set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and are calculated based on salary, aligned to civil service pay scales, and years’ service. All such severance/ex-gratia payments under these terms are calculated and paid out by the National Shared Services Office and published in the Department’s Appropriation Account. Severance is not payable to staff on secondment from the public service nor to staff who are appointed to another such position across Government within a short space of time.

Following the change of Government on the 9th April 2024, a number of ministerial personal staff at the Department of the Taoiseach had their contracts terminated. The associated severance/ex-gratia payments, including statutory redundancy, are currently being processed by the National Shared Services Office. Details of the final amounts paid will be published in the Department’s 2024 Appropriation Account.

Question No. 72 answered with Question No. 71.