Junior ministerial staff cost taxpayers €8m per year

THE Government was accused of having a “warped sense of priorities” after new figures show private and constituency staff of the 20 junior ministers continue to cost taxpayers more than €8 million yearly.

The ministers of state have a total of 187 back-up staff, including their private and constituency offices, which are staffed by civil servants, political advisers and press officers.

More than a quarter of the staff costs relate to the Department of Health, where the four junior ministers employ a total of 42 staff at a cost of €2.25m.