The controversial hiring of three special advisers to the Ceann Comhairle, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Seanad Cathaoirleach will be examined by a review into Oireachtas spending.
asserted
hiring → examine → spending
Earlier this year, the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission was engaging in the first comprehensive, independent organisational review of the Houses of the Oireachtas Service since 2002.
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Houses → reveal → 2002
The review will be overseen by an independent oversight group consisting of high-profile figures including former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, ex-EU Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, and Seán Aylward, former secretary-general of the Department of Justice.
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review → oversee → Justice
The terms of reference for the oversight group are currently being completed.
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terms → complete → group
However, sources confirmed the controversial special adviser posts agreed for the speaker of the Dáil Verona Murphy (Independent), deputy Ceann Comhairle John McGuinness (FF) and Seanad leader Mark Daly (FF) will be examined as part of the review.
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posts → confirm → review
An Oireachtas source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The review will examine the organisation of the service, its operating model and workforce.’
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review → tell → service
Verona Murphy and her former campaign manager Cyril Barden behind her
The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission last year approved spending of €325,000-per-year for three new special adviser posts for senior officeholders in parliament.
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Houses → approve → parliament
This allowed Ms Murphy, Mr McGuinness and Mr Daly to each hire an adviser at an average annual cost of around €108,000 per post.
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Murphy → allow → post
Special adviser positions for office-holders at Leinster House had been ended over a decade ago following the resignation of former Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue after controversy over his travel expenses.
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positions → end → expenses
In the wake of the Leinster House U-turn, Mr McGuinness appointed his long-term parliamentary assistant Muireann O’Neill as his adviser.
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McGuinness → appoint → adviser
Mr Daly also appointed his parliamentary assistant, Grace Coyle, to the post.
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Daly → appoint → post
The Oireachtas this week confirmed the Ceann Comhairle has appointed Cyril Barden as adviser ‘on a temporary basis until October’.
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Comhairle → confirm → October
He will be paid on ‘a principal officer scale’, which starts at €108,152 per annum.
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which → pay → annum
Mr Barden has acted as a campaign director and manager for the Wexford TD and previously worked as a campaign director for former MEP Avril Doyle.
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Barden → act → Doyle
One minister said of the appointment: ‘It will be interesting to see what expertise Mr Barden brings in constitutional law and Dáil procedure to the post.’
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Barden → say → post
The appointments have reawakened political unease over the reputational impact of the ever-increasing number of highly-paid special advisers within the ranks of the Government.
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appointments → reawaken → Government
Bertie Ahern and John O'Donoghue enjoy a joke with racing pundit John McCrirrick (centre) at Listowel Races in 2003
One minister noted: ‘These advisers are spreading like Japanese knotweed.
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advisers → enjoy → knotweed
We are almost back to the age of [former taoiseach] Bertie [Ahern] when there was an adviser and a salary for everyone.’
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We → be → everyone
Social Democrats finance spokesman Cian O’Callaghan said the Oireachtas special adviser appointments ‘must be scrutinised by any review into Oireachtas spending to see what value for money is provided’.
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value → say → money
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín also called for the posts to be examined, adding: ‘These roles should not have been created in the first place.’
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roles → call → place
The Meath West TD told the MoS: ‘We will be calling for a full investigation and for the posts to be discontinued in the next Dáil.
'
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posts → tell → Dáil
These are posts that should not have been created and should not exist in the next Dáil.’
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that → create → Dáil
Special advisers became a feature of Irish politics back in 1992 when, under an initiative led by then-Labour leader Dick Spring, ministers were allowed appoint one adviser.
But according to the most recent figures from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the current Government employs a total of 65 special advisers.
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Government → become → advisers
Tánaiste Simon Harris leads the way with 10 advisers, including deputy Government press secretary Hugh O’Connell.
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Harris → lead → O’Connell
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a slightly more modest nine, including Government press secretary Paul Clarkson.
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Martin → have → Clarkson
Under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997, other Cabinet ministers can appoint a maximum of two special advisers.
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ministers → appoint → advisers
So-called ‘super juniors’ – Ministers of State who regularly attend Cabinet meetings, including Government Chief Whip Mary Butler (FF) plus Independents Seán Canney and Noel Grealish – also have two advisers.
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who → call → advisers
One Government TD told the MoS: ‘There is a lot of chatter that maybe [Oireachtas] Committee chairs should be getting a few of those SPADs [special advisers].
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chairs → tell → SPADs
‘Fellows noticed there’s a nice increase in the estimates for the Oireachtas budget this year.
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Fellows → notice → budget
Maybe some of that might be spent on staffing the 29 committees we have.’
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we → spend → committees
Another TD noted: ‘That issue has been raised.
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issue → note → ?
There is a growing view that chairpersons – especially of more high-profile committees – need more support.
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chairpersons → be → support
'The civil servants who run committees have any amount of support.
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who → run → support
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we → accept → article
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