Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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614.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of political staff employed in her 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 she will make a statement on the matter.[34910/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP, Delivery and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997.

Parliamentary Assistants and Secretarial Assistants appointed by Ministers and Ministers of State are paid by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service and as such my Department does not hold the requested information on them.

The following link contains the information requested by the Deputy for special advisers and civilian drivers employed by Ministers and Ministers of State in my Department for the years 2020- 2024. In the event that an appointee is a retired Civil Servant, pension abatement rules apply.

There are also two additional Ministers of State appointed to my Department.

Hildegarde Naughton T.D., Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion in my Department and of the Department of An Taoiseach has two special advisers who are employed by that Department. Minister of State Naughton also has a Higher Executive Officer and Clerical Officer who have been seconded to work in my Department to assist with the work of her private office. These officers are paid in line with the terms of the relevant pay circulars.

Thomas Byrne T.D., Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education and of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media also has one special adviser and two civilian drivers, who are employed by that Department.