President diverts funds to pay for extra advisers

Michael D Higgins has diverted part of the presidential funding provided by taxpayers to increase the number of advisers he has compared to his predecessor Mary McAleese.

Negotiations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform resulted in Kevin McCarthy being appointed to the extra post of executive assistant, with his salary of €49,000 coming from monies re-allocated from the non-wages portion of the president’s allowance.

Mr McCarthy, a former aide to his cousin, Labour Cork TD Michael McCarthy, was chauffeur for Mr Higgins during the presidential campaign of 2011.