Departmental Staff

Monday, 9 September 2024

Ceisteanna (50, 51)

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

50. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of political staff employed in his Department, including parliamentary assistants, secretarial assistants, special advisers, drivers and other relevant positions; the number of civil or public service staff seconded to work within his Department or constituency offices; the salaries and job titles of each such person; the duty or role of each, in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34914/24]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

51. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to provide a list of the names of each special adviser employed by his Department since 2020; the Minister and Minister of State whom each adviser is associated with, and their respective salaries, in tabular form; the areas of expertise covered by such advisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34932/24]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together.

The following advisers have been employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs over the period 2020 to present:

-	Special Adviser	Minister	Salary Scale
2020 – 2022	Chris Donoghue	Minister Simon Coveney	Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2020 – 2022	Laura McGonigle	Minister Simon Coveney	Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2020	Paul Fox	Minister of State Helen McEntee	Assistant Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2020 - 2022	Charlotte Simpson	Minister of State Thomas Byrne	Assistant Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2020 – 2020	Noel Lynch	Minister of State Thomas Byrne	Assistant Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2020 – 2021 (Temporary basis)	Marguerite O’Loughlin	Minister of State Thomas Byrne	Assistant Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2022 - 2022	Daniel Griffin	Minister of State Thomas Byrne	Assistant Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2022 – present	Gráinne Weld	Tánaiste and Minister Micheál Martin	Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2023 – present	Sharon McGowan	Tánaiste and Minister Micheál Martin	Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2022 – 2024	Laura Mannion	Minister of State Peter Burke	Assistant Principal Officer PPC Standard Scale
2023 – present	Eoin Delaney	Minister of State Sean Fleming	Assistant Principal PPC Scale
2024 – present	Stephen Foley	Minister of State Jennifer Carroll MacNeill	Assistant Principal PPC Scale

The Special Advisers working in the Department of Foreign Affairs engage on a wide range of policy matters as well as performing other functions as directed from time to time. They also liaise with Special Advisers in other Government Department. The appointment of Special Advisers are made in line with the Public Service Management Act, 1997 and are subject to Government approval.

In addition, staff as set out in the table that follows have been seconded or appointed to work in the Department of Foreign Affairs in the period in question. Appointments are made in line with civil service guidelines on Ministerial appointments.

Ministers’ Offices

Year	Role	Minister	Salary Scale
2020 – present	Private Secretary (Seconded from Department of Education)	Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora	Higher Executive Officer Standard Scale and Private Secretary Allowance
2022 – present	Constituency Office Manager	Constituency Officer of Tánaiste and Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin	Higher Executive Officer Standard Scale

Civilian Drivers

Minister of State	Number of civilian drivers employed	Salary Scale
Minister of State Ciaran Cannon	2	Civilian Driver PPC
Minister of State Helen McEntee	2	Civilian Driver PPC
Minister of State Thomas Byrne	2	Civilian Driver PPC
Minister of State Colm Brophy	3	Civilian Driver PPC
Minister of State Peter Burke	2	Civilian Driver PPC
Minister of State Sean Fleming	2	Civilian Driver PPC
Minister of State Jennifer Carroll MacNeill	2	Civilian Driver PPC

Question No. 51 answered with Question No. 50.