Key aide to President quits her €100k post

AN adviser to President Michael D. Higgins has left Áras an Uachtaráin just 18 months after being hired on a salary of more than €100,000 a year.

The President wrote to Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, last year seeking permission to breach the Government’s €80,000 pay cap for special advisers in order to secure the services of Mary Van Lieshout.

Mr Howlin agreed to the pay bar being lifted and Ms Van Lieshout was hired at the salary of €103,472 which she earned as head of research and standards development with the National Disability Authority.

At the same time Sarah Martin, a former RTÉ press officer, had her salary raised from €61,966 to €75,934. The Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday reported that Ms Van Lieshout left her post last month.

It is not known if another adviser will be hired on the same salary, but the budget for the President’s office was increased in Budget 2014. The vacancy is yet to be advertised.

President Higgins had one more member of staff than President Mary McAleese when she was in the Park.

A spokesman for the Áras would not say why Ms Van Lieshout had left the lucrative position, only confirming that she had ‘taken up an appointment in the NGO sector in October’.

Before joining the Phoenix Park staff, Ms Van Lieshout also worked with Oxfam and the Eastern Regional Health Authority.