Government parties set to spend €6m a year on special advisers

Fri, 11 Dec, 2020 - 06:30

Elaine Loughlin Political Correspondent

The Government is set to spend up to €6m a year on 64 politically appointed special advisers, new figures reveal.

Details of the salaries of specials advisers appointed by 13 of the Government's ministers and ministers of state show that they earn between €67,659 and €101,114.

Opposition parties have rounded on the Government for hiring an unprecedented number of special advisers to deal with the media and steer them on policy decisions, and have demanded that the salary details and exact roles of all 64 advisers be made public.

Figures relating to 23 media and political advisers reveal that their combined yearly earnings will top €2m, with eight of these appointees on salaries of over €100,000.

However, salaries of the remaining 41 advisers have not been released as they have yet to be formally appointed by the Cabinet, even though the majority have been in place since shortly after the coalition was formed in June.

Based on the figures released, it is estimated that the total full cost of the Government team of 64 advisers will be in the region of €6m every year, bringing the spend to around €30m if the Government lasts the full five years.

It comes at a time when the Government has come under fire for agreeing to wage and pension increases for judges, party whips, and former taoisigh while refusing to pay student nurses.

Under sustained pressure from Opposition parties and nursing representatives, health minister Stephen Donnelly suggested that student nurses could receive increased allowances early next year as part of a "short and independent review" of the current travel and accommodation stipend of €50 a week.

Mr Donnelly told the Dáil: "My intention is that any recommended increase in allowances related to Covid-19 would be in place in January, as requested by the representative bodies.”

He also said the Government is also conducting a second, longer-term review of the pay given to those on student placements generally.

One of Mr Donnelly's two advisers, former journalist Susan Mitchell, is among the eight named who earn €101,114. Fellow former journalists Chris Donoghue and Paul Melia are also on this amount. Both Deborah Sweeney and Ed Brophy, who work for finance minister Paschal Donohoe, are on €101,114, as are Pauric McPhillips, who is employed by Heather Humphreys; Kevin Barrett, who advises Michael McGrath; and Paul Kenny, who was appointed by Eamon Ryan.

Special advisers, or 'spads', are directly employed by the minister they work for, and come and go with the Government of the day.

Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin public expenditure spokesperson said: "The Government should release the full list of advisers and their salaries. There is no reason for this information not to be made public."

She said advisers play a "key role, but the number recruited by this Government is excessive".

This was echoed by Labour leader Alan Kelly, who called on the Government to provide a full breakdown of the job titles and roles of each adviser.

"The salaries are extraordinary, and in some cases are hard to justify. Micheál Martin in Opposition would have been highly critical, but now he is in Government, he is presiding over the largest-ever spend on advisers."

Social Democrat co-leader Catherine Murphy questioned the increased number of appointments.

"What jumps out is that they are focused on managing the message rather than delivering on policy," she said.

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Martin strongly defended the appointments, stating that it is "not about spinning anything", but instead "it is about briefing properly on what is happening in terms of Government policy and Government initiatives".

Revealed: Salaries of special advisers to Government ministers