Tánaiste Joan Burton staff salaries up to €52k more than pay cap

Tánaiste Joan Burton has claimed there is nothing wrong with two of her senior advisers being paid up to €52,000 more than strict pay caps allow because the salaries are still lower than under previous governments.

The Labour leader was forced to defend the salaries of her chief of staff, Ed Brophy, and her economic adviser, Terry Quinn, after it emerged their pay packets, of €144,550 and €114,424, respectively, exceed the €92,672 ceiling set when the Coalition came to office.

The figures, revealed by Fianna Fáil social protection spokesman Willie O’Dea last night, show Mr Brophy is earning €51,878 more than the cut-off point introduced by the Government in 2011.