Government bill for spin doctors will reach €20m
Taxpayer funds more than 300 'ministerial advisers' as the public sector faces savage cuts
IN stark contrast to the rest of the economy, there has been no downturn in the amount advisers and "political spin doctors" employed by Government ministers to improve their public image.
In the wake of savage cut-backs in the public sector, senior and junior ministers are still being served by an astonishing retinue of more than 310 advisers, press officers and constituency workers.
The total cost of this political perk for the taxpayer has already reached €16.5m for salaries, and when expenses and other issues are factored in it is expected to reach €20m by the close of the year.
"In the aftermath of the McCarthy report, the absence of any cuts in any of these top of the range advisers, programme managers, and everything else is in stark contrast to the experience of the private sector," said Fine Gael's chief whip Paul Kehoe.
Mr Kehoe also said that the answers given by some ministers -- that they didn't know the numbers employed in this area of their departments -- meant they were "clueless about such costs".
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, with a total of 19 departmental and constituency workers, continues to have the largest number of advisers and constituency activists.
It was, however, a close-run battle between the Taoiseach and Tanaiste Mary Coughlan, who had 18.
With a total cost of €1.06m for the first 11 months of this year, Ms Coughlan out spent the Mr Cowen by just €30,000.
Health Minister Mary Harney also held on to her "last of the big spenders" crown as the figures secured by Mr Kehoe reveal that Ms Harney spent just under €750,000 on a coterie of 12 advisers.
Mr Kehoe noted that the inability of Ms Harney's department to "even answer simple questions raises real issues as to what it is they actually do''.
The majority of senior ministers, such as Eamon O Cuiv, continue to enjoy the services of more than a dozen taxpayer-funded civil servants and advisers; while junior ministers, such as Pat Carey, whose main political task is to count the number of TDs who vote for the Government, maintain a retinue of between nine and 13 helpers.
The average cost of the ministerial office continues to be more than €600,000, while junior ministerial costs still top the €300,000 mark.
Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith and Justice Minister Dermot Ahern declined to answer Mr Kehoe's questions -- Mr Ahern said that the reason was that he had answered a similar question in January 2009.
The refusal of Mr Ahern, in common with Martin Cullen, to provide an open reply to the question of costs means we can only provide an estimate of the total cost of his office staff. But if all of his employees were paid at the top rate, the overall cost to the tax-payer can be estimated.
The total salaries that are paid to senior ministerial staff, including the Government's Chief Whip, are:
- Taoiseach Brian Cowen €1.03 million (19 staff).
- Tanaiste Mary Coughlan €1.06 million (18 staff).
- Chief Whip Pat Carey €408,000 (9 staff).
- Finance Minister Brian Lenihan €562,648 (13 staff).
- Health Minister Mary €741,506 (12 staff).
- Transport Minister Noel Dempsey €652,716 (14 staff).
- Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin €682,223 (13 staff).
- Environment Minister John Gormley €622,388 (12 staff)
- Communications Minister Eamon Ryan €593,326 (12 staff).
- Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe €624,110 (13 staff).
- Community Affairs Minister Eamon O Cuiv €697,653 (14 staff).
- Social Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin €665,524 (13 staff).
- Defence Minister Willie O'Dea €671,377, based on previous figures (13 staff).
lJustice Minister Dermot Ahern €795,164 (16 staff).
- Sport, Arts and Tourism Minister Martin Cullen. No figures given (eight staff).
lAgriculture Minister Brendan Smith. The Minister was not able to answer the question.
- JOHN DRENNAN
Originally published in
