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THE GOVERNMENT HAS released details of a €4.5 million pay package earned by special advisers who counsel ministers and ministers of state.
The latest list of government special advisers published today shows the pay rates of 48 different media and policy advisers employed to provide advice to different ministers.
The combined yearly earnings of the advisers comes to a total bill of €4,508,405, however that figure doesn’t include the pay of Alan Ahearne, who is on a part-time secondment from NUI Galway to advise Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
The highest earner on the list is the Taoiseach’s adviser Deirdre Gillane, who has an annual salary of €180,276. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s adviser Brian Murphy comes in second with a salary of €171,263.
A total of 18 of the advisers earn more than €100,000, a further eight earn more than €90,000 and 13 earn between €87,000-€89,072. The advisers with the lowest pay earn €67,659. The salaries exclude pension and other entitlements.
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has the largest and most expensive set of advisers. His team of eight includes two people who job-share and the total cost amounts to €729,669.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s team is the second-most expensive, with his six advisers earning €678,639 between them.
The bill for the Taoiseach’s six advisers comes to €583,626, however that does not include Alan Ahearne’s pay.
The list of advisers includes numerous former journalists including Fiach Kelly, Paul Melia and Susan Mitchell who all earn €101,114 each.
Other advisers who previously worked as journalists are Sarah Bardon, Niall O’Connor and Colette Sexton, who all have an annual salary of €94,487.
Publishing the list of appointments today, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said: “The formal appointment of a Special Adviser requires a Government Order to be made in each instance.
“The process to formally appoint Special Advisers for the 33rd Dáil is being progressed by the relevant Ministers at this time.”
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What a petty man-child
@mcleixlip: You missed the main point. “Swift was a prominent backer of Trump’s US presidential election rival Kamala Harris last year.” When you back the wrong side it has consequences.
@thomas molloy: normal countries don’t have ‘consequences’ for exercising your democratic rights. The abuse she gets is ridiculous.
@thomas molloy: “When you back the wrong side it has consequences.” – WOW
Out of curiosity, what consequences to you think those that oppose Trump should suffer? Will you be okay with Trump using the power of the Govt to go after those that he views as his enemies?
Do you think Liz Cheney should be investigated? How about Taylor Swift? Should Mitt Romney be investigated? Or John Bolton?
And before we get the inevitable lie that “Biden targeted Trump first”, every sane person who isn’t blinded by their blind allegiance to Trump, can look at the evidence and know that Trump was guilty of everything he was indicted for.
@thomas molloy: why on earth should there be consequences? For supporting one candidate over the other? Isn’t that what happened in other countries that ended up as dictatorships – if you don’t support the leader, there were consequences.
@thomas molloy: It does say in the text of the article that most of the crowd were from Philly though American Football fans as a whole do skew somewhat to the Right.
@John Murphy: Swift of course being the only celebrity ever to endorse a presidential candidate on either side.
@John Murphy: Can you let us know the criteria you have that determines if a person is allowed to campaign for their preferred political candidate?
@thomas molloy: Are you proposing “consequences” for any Irish person who did not support FF at the last election? What have you in mind?
@John Murphy: and so could Trump. I didn’t realise that people weren’t allowed to have political opinions or voice those in any way they want. When did this happen? She’s old enough to vote in the USA so she’s entitled to a political opinion and to campaign for the candidate of her choice. Would you be like this if she’d supported Trump?
@thomas molloy: Well at least she earns her own money – she’s not waiting for some Isreali supporter Heiress to give her a 100 million like Trump. ! And, that’s the only one we know about . Heavens knows how much he gets from the Isreali Lobby group AIPAC !!
@Seamus Enright: philly voted 79% for harris in 2024. It seems more likely the boos being as Taylor Swift is originally from Philly, the eagles fans might not be too keen on her wearing red for the opposing team. Then also Kelce supports Trump over her, Taylor he don’t support you, dump that loser and get the album of songs for the heartbreak
@Emily Dalton: Travis kelce like “honour to play in front” of man insulting my girlfriend. Dump him Taylor, dump him. He is no good for you, he toxic.
@Terry McClatchey: Er, we are already are facing “consequences” for not supporting FF, years more of the same government doing what they do.
Trump really is a piece of word that they won’t let me type, rhymes with crit. That is all that needs to be said
@Chutes Idiot: Mental health problems are rral. You believe everyone else has multiple personality too, like you do.
@FoxyBoiiYT: I don’t think he is a Brit
He is not presidential material, at all. He’s not even CEO material. A pathetic man child.
@Brian Keelty: You are misled by ill media. How can this be bad news. ? “EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order keeping men out of women’s sports.
The Executive Order upholds the promise of Title IX and ends the dangerous and unfair participation of men in women’s sports.
The order requires DOJ to abide by the nationwide vacatur of the previous Administration’s illegal Title IX rewrite that would have dissolved single-sex spaces and opportunities.
The order also requires immediate action, including enforcement actions, against schools and athletic “
@thomas molloy: Two can play at that game.
Do you consider Trump firing over a dozen Inspectors General a good thing? Removing independent oversight, there to prevent corruption, from multiple agencies?
Do you consider the latest claim from JD Vance that the Administration doesn’t need to adhere to Judicial rulings because they don’t accept that Judges have the right to question the Executive Branch decisions?
Do you support the claim that funding allocated and voted on by Congress can be stopped by Presidential decree essentially moving the Constitutionally granted “purse strings” from Congress to the Executive?
You’re happy with the Executive unilaterally removing the Congressional and Judicial checks and balances and making sure there is no method to check their power?
In short, are you happy with the President having dictatorial power?
@thomas molloy: And don’t pretend you give a flying f about women and girls beyond using them as a prop for a man who has had dozens of credible accusations of sexual assault and has been found liable by a jury of his peers of committing it. Never mind his literal OWN words recorded when he thought no one was listening.
@Tricia G28: Ever heard of the separation of powers?
@John Duggan: Yes. And Trump and hid administration is doing everything it can to abolish that and consolidate power under the Executive Branch. Or did you not understand my comment?
Trump is the kind of heroic President that we all grew up hearing stories about but never got to see with our own eyes.
He’s a walking, talking historical figure, folks. What a man!
@james quinn: does your throat hurt?
The only thing better than watching Trump bring back normality to society there. Is witnessing all the chemically imbalanced throthing at the mouth over every detail. It’s pure gold.
@Sickof thisshit: the lads deep ‘throthing’ Trump are a lot funnier. Trump has no idea what life is like for a normal person. Never had to work for anything in his whole life.
Trump your pathetic
Go Birds!!
He came eat the burgers and chicken, got the photos taken and left. Same old same old from the man child!
Taylor Swift got booed by the opposition fans, that was to be expected.
@Gary Kearney: what a saddo of an auld man. In fact he ain’t a man he’s a chancer
Id say she didn’t sleep a wink since.
Who cares,
Poor old Tay Tay, still it could have been worse, it could have been Samantha Mumba!
Nobody in their right mind actually cares! Waiting for the usual “you cared enough to comment” comments….
No, I really don’t give a **** who won the superbowl or how Trump reacted! Manuel!!!
You just have to love immigrant Americans not one of them are natural Americans they are a disgusting nation.
have your say