Catherine Connolly intends to announce her appointments to the Council of State “early in the new year”, according to a spokeswoman, while other key staff appointments have yet to be made.
The President’s closest adviser, and the key figure in managing her presidential election campaign, Beibhinn O’Connor, has joined her as special adviser.
But there has been no decision on any further appointments.
Ms Connolly has a further three appointments, comprising a head of communications, a speech writer and a personal assistant, that she can make.
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The President appoints seven members of the Council of State, which also has members including current and former taoisigh and chief justices. The council advises the President on the use of her discretionary powers, including referring a Bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality.
Ms Connolly has not yet taken up residence in Áras an Uachtaráin, which is undergoing minor renovations after her predecessor, Michael D Higgins, and his wife Sabina moved out on the eve of the President’s inauguration.
She is staying at the Steward’s Lodge at nearby Farmleigh House. It is understood that no date for moving into the Áras has been agreed yet with the Office of Public Works. Nor has a decision been made on whether Ms Connolly will follow the example of Mr Higgins and waive a portion of her salary.
During the campaign, Ms Connolly said she was “open to ideas” on what she should do with the salary and she said she was going to use it for “the common good”.
The President is entitled to a salary of just under €340,000 a year. It is set by statute as equivalent to the salary of the chief justice plus 10 per cent.
Recent budget and Book of Estimates figures show the cost of running the office of the president is set to rise by €674,000 to €6.2 million next year. There are plans to hire additional staff and increase spending on a number of services required by the office.
The number of people working at Áras an Uachtaráin is to rise to 33 from 31 in 2026, resulting in a 9 per cent increase in wages, salaries and allowances to just over €2.8 million.
The payroll includes about 18 chefs and caterers who provide meals for the president and their guests. The team includes an executive head chef, an assistant chef, a cook and a catering and services captain.
The Áras website has been revamped since Ms Connolly’s election and no longer contains a section devoted to the spouse of the office holder.
The website makes clear that the President cannot intervene with the Government or any other institution of State on behalf of citizens, that she cannot grant financial assistance to people in distress and that she cannot become directly involved with charity campaigns.
“Catherine Connolly wants to be a President for all the people, especially for those often excluded and silenced,” the website states.
“She wants to be a voice for equality and justice and for the defence of neutrality as an active, living tradition of peacemaking, bridge-building and compassionate diplomacy.”
In the two weeks since her inauguration, Ms Connolly has undertaken a series of engagements, including visits to conferences and community events.
She has appointed a new Cabinet Minister, Hildegarde Naughton; attended the funerals of road crash victims; attended an international rugby match against South Africa in Dublin; received Scottish first minister John Swinney and hosted Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
