Taoiseach asked for cost of Varadkar assistant
TAOISEACH Micheál Martin has come under pressure to outline the cost of his new administration, including offices and staff for Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.
It comes as he told the Dáil €20m in extra funding is needed by his department for Covid-19 public information campaigns.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she understands Mr Varadkar and Mr Ryan will have advisers and press secretaries as part of their own offices within the Department of the Taoiseach.
She also said it’s “strange” that Mr Varadkar is to have his own aide-de-camp – a Defence Forces officer that accompanies him to official events.
Ms McDonald asked Mr Martin to outline the cost of the offices and staff.
Mr Martin said the last government involving Fine Gael and Independent ministers had “a range of advisers and press secretaries as well”.
He said: “This is a tripartite government and the three parties will retain the same number of staff roughly as the former Taoiseach had.”
He said the number of politically appointed staff stood at about 20 in the last administration.
Mr Martin added: “The full complement hasn’t been finalised to my knowledge yet but as soon as it is it will be transparent and published.”
He said precedent for the Office of the Tánaiste goes back to the Fianna Fáil-Labour government of the early 1990s.
Mr Martin said “political input is important in delivering a Programme for Government” and there has to be a “constructive interaction” between political advisers and the civil service.
When the Irish Independent revealed that Mr Varadkar is to get an aide-de-camp a spokesperson for the Tánaiste said the role was needed to fulfil a greater level of representation at public functions. “The role will be filled by an existing officer at no extra expense to the taxpayer,” they added.
In the Dáil Mr Martin outlined how around €20m in extra funding is needed for his Department to cover the cost of public awareness campaigns during the coronavirus emergency. He said €10.5m has already been spent on campaigns to ensure the public know what is happening and what it means for issues like social distancing and plans for the Leaving Certificate.