THE GOVERNMENT is spending up to €2.5 million a year on special advisers in 12 different departments, it has emerged.
While some of the salaries being paid to advisers match those of Ministers, Government sources yesterday defended the use of outside expertise to bolster Civil Service support.
Salaries paid to special advisers are down more than 20 per cent on amounts paid to advisers to the last government, while Ministers had to do with significantly fewer people in their “kitchen cabinet”, according to one source.
Details of salaries paid to many ministerial advisers were revealed in answers to Dáil questions from Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher.
The Taoiseach’s two main advisers, Mark Kennelly and Andrew McDowell, are each being paid €168,000 a year, while two other advisers, Paul O’Brien and Angela Flanagan, are each earning just over €80,000. Government Ministers earn €169,000.
Mr Kenny said Mr Kennelly was his chief of staff and would work closely with the Northern Ireland division of his department to keep him fully briefed. Special advisers were tasked with giving advice and “keeping me informed on a wide range of issues, as well as performing such other functions as may be directed by me from time to time”, Mr Kenny said.
Outside the Department of the Taoiseach, the best-paid special adviser is Fergal Leamy, a former chief executive of Greencore USA, who is advising Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney on the Food Harvest programme and other areas. A second adviser, Áine Kilroy, is paid €80,000.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said he was still awaiting details from the Department of Finance of the salary payable to his main adviser, Mark Garrett, and another special adviser, Colm O’Reardon. A third adviser, Jean O’Mahony, is paid on the principal officer scale, which runs from €80,000 to €98,000.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has appointed Anne Byrne and Ronan O’Brien as special advisers. Mr O’Brien is being paid €114,000 a year and Ms Byrne, €83,000.
Mary Kenny, on a salary of €83,000, is the only special adviser appointed by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan.
At the Department of Education, special adviser John Walshe, former education editor of the Irish Independent, is being paid €93,000. Minister Ruairí Quinn's director of communications, Deirdre Grant, had yet to have her salary finalised. Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has yet to appoint any advisers to her office.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan said he was in the process of appointing Seán Mac Carthaigh as special adviser. No salary was specified. He said he would appoint a second adviser in due course.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte has appointed Finbarr O’Malley and Simon Nugent as special advisers, on salaries of €83,000 and €97,000 respectively. Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has appointed Claire Langton as special adviser on a salary of about €80,000.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has appointed Jane Lehane and Tom Cooney as special advisers. They are paid on the principal officer’s scale, ranging from €80,000 to €94,000.
Other advisers paid on this scale include Mark Costigan and Seán Faughnan at the Department of Health and Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill and Marion Mannion at the Department of Children.
