Taoiseach quizzed on staff and salaries by former Labour Party leader - report
TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has been quizzed on his staff and their salaries by his former government partner Joan Burton, according to a report published today by Journal.ie.
The question, reports the current affairs website, came months after it emerged that in January of this year – before the election and the formation of the new partnership government – three members of the Taoiseach’s backroom staff were earning salaries above the €92,672 pay cap.
In a parliamentary question this month, Labour’s Burton quizzed Kenny on the current make-up of his staff and what they are paid.
Kenny said that the following are the political staff employed in his private and constituency offices:
Mark Kennelly: Chief of Staff €156,380 – Dublin
Angela Flanagan: Special Adviser €87,258 – Dublin
Paul O’Brien: Special Adviser €87,258 – Dublin
Sarah Moran: Personal Assistant €77,275 – Dublin
Miriam O’Callaghan: Personal Assistant €72,546 – Dublin
Gerard Deere: Personal Assistant €68,293 – Castlebar
Teresa Diskin: Personal Assistant €68,293 – Castlebar
Marian Irwin: Personal Assistant €65,000 – Castlebar
John Lohan: Personal Assistant €55,415 – Dublin
AnnMarie Durcan: Personal Secretary €46,315 – Dublin
Tommy English: Personal Secretary €37,588 – Dublin
All of the above staff are on contracts, said the Taoiseach.
In addition, he employs two assistant principal officers in Dublin, one higher executive officer in Dublin, two executive officers in Dublin, and seven clerical officers in Dublin.
During the previous government Joan Burton had one chief of staff, three advisers, one press officer, one personal assistant, one personal secretary, and one “correspondence coordinator”, whose total wage bill came to €592,187.