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TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY was quizzed on his staff and their salaries by his former Government partner Joan Burton.
The question 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:
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.
In comparison, in January of this year here’s what the Taoiseach’s 17 staff were paid during the previous Fine Gael-Labour coalition:
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.
Mark Kennelly, the Taoiseach’s long-running right-hand man, has worked with the Fine Gael party over the last 25 years, having previously advised Michael Lowry in 1995/1996 when the Tipperary man held the position of Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. He was first appointed Chief of Staff in 2001. He is the highest-paid special adviser in government.
Paul O’Brien was also hired by Kenny in 2011. He had previously been a policy advisor at Fine Gael HQ. Meanwhile, Angela Flanagan is yet another Fine Gael policy adviser who was brought into Kenny’s inner circle in 2011.
Kenny has also established a Parliamentary Liaison Unit “to facilitate the enhanced relationship between the Government and the Oireachtas with a view to ensuring the timely implementation of the Government’s legislative programme”.
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Don’t worry, Micky D won’t rock the boat.
He’s firmly embedded in the establishment now.
@Tommy Haze: By “Micky D” challenging the Government’s Bill, is he not actually rocking the boat.
@Sean O’Doherty: hes not challenging it, just checking that its constitutional he can request further clarification and changes but the real challanges only occur in the courts
@Spanner: correct
Please allow us to keep the corruption flowing, yours sincerely, FFG.
@bruce banner: Labour managed to get a few of their “cronies” into the lower courts over the years too. Decent lawyers that became judges admiringly . How’s it corruption ? Do you understand the term ? Any of those credible and good enough to be a judge would normally make more money practicing as barristers and solicitors . Vastly more money to be made in the private sector and far less hassle compared to what judges have to deal , professionally and personally . What judge appointments to the Superior courts have you or do you take issue with , in light of their legal background ?
Hey, can we talk about Israel/Palestine and the Garda roster disputes here? Seen as though its pretty much the only comments section actually open….
@Irish turf: Individual opinions are not allowed and are dangerous…to the agenda
@Dave Murray: no, don’t , please . (Obviously one can’t stop you ) This section is about appointment of judges . Your attempt to hijack the topic is why so many articles close their comment section
@Brian Deadly: they tend to be very expensive when they are defamatory . Hence why The Journal close them down .
TJ is really not taking any chances with the trouble in the Middle East.
The memo must have gone out on Saturday to shut down all discussion and debate on the topic.
Should get rid of the comments section if you are closing all the ones people want to comment on.
War is bad but if you keep walking over people and denying their freedom they will react at times.
Well said.
No coment, nó coment, irish goverment need to grow a pair and call out Israel. Complete blockage on Gaza, 2 million people starved
@Spudgesh: fully agree.
Top 5 stories, no comments aloud.
@Jay Kay: allowed
Thoughts and prayers with those on both sides of the Gaza Strip.
Is this normal, or just his mouth always open ? Does he use any medication
@ibrahim Sudane: It’s a thinly disguised grimace. He’s not been well since Sabine had the Strapadictome.
Have the GRA taken over the j0urnal. About 90% of comments are closed, even Ardal O’Hanlon and it obviously isn’t listening to anyone’s comments.
I hope Michael D will find time between his holidays to meet the Council of State. Is it not time to stop Govt appointees and separate the Judiciary and State
Was listening to Shatter on radio earlier. He is further to the right than Net in yahooo and given his record in Justice presumably supports the nets supreme court stance. What happened, to both people’s is disgusting but as usual, nobody is asking, WHY, it has gotten this bar baric. History is conveniently ignored! Every Time I watch a doc on the Holocaust, I wonder what lessons were learned and all of this in the name of religion. At this rate only Atheists will be allowed into heaven. Can you imagine if the Messiah arrived in Gaza tomorrow. No water to turn into wine. I am not belittling the tragedy, I am belittling religious human beliefs. The only thing that is going to stop this is climate change.
@BarryH: With the big exception of his eagerness to support the senior police officers , without looking at the evidence , during the whistle blowers affair ; Shatter was a pretty good Justice Minister ! His hands were tied by huge economic obstacles which in turn forced him to close down Garda stations and put a freeze on recruitment. While neither of these black marks are small fry, he was an excellent minister . In case you have not noticed but , Ireland is not a left wing country ! At best it’s centrist and centre right with the occasional centre left . You want some to big done , want hard and tough decisions made , you vote right wing .
Islamic terrorists on the Luas lines?
Very informative thank you.
Rory Sully ( Irish legal systems )
@Rors: yeah
have your say