Tony Blair recently defended his advisers by comparing the size of his office staff to that of the Taoiseach's. Miriam Donohoe examines the people operating the "spin machine" in Ireland
The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Government Ministers have gone on their summer holidays having put in place a team of advisers and spin doctors at a cost to the taxpayer of around €2 million a year.
Despite the recent round of public spending cutbacks, there was no sign of axes being wielded when it came to the hiring of press and policy staff by the Cabinet.
It took an unlikely intervention from the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, to put the focus on the issue last month when he claimed there was more staff in Government Buildings in Dublin than in Downing Street.
Defending criticism that his leadership was "all spin and no substance", Mr Blair said his office at No. 10 had "perhaps even fewer people working for it than the Irish Taoiseach's." It emerged there were 190 staff on the No. 10 payroll compared to 205 staff in the Taoiseach's Department.
Mr Blair's statement led Fine Gael to call for the Taoiseach to appear before a Dáil committee to answer questions about his "spin machine".
The controversy over the employment of advisers came at a sensitive time as the Government prepared to launch a series of stringent cutbacks to control runaway Exchequer spending.
To be fair, the vast majority of the 205 staff working in the Department of the Taoiseach are permanent and pensionable civil servants, and are there to assist whatever government is in power.
Since the Fianna Fáil/PD coalition took office in early June, a total of 31 advisers have been appointed by Mr Ahern, Ms Harney, and Cabinet Ministers. Many were reappointed, having worked for the last government.
These appointments are in addition to the full, civil service-staffed press offices for ministers.
Along with his six special advisers, who cost the taxpayer €600,000, the Taoiseach also has four Government press officers and the civil service-staffed media monitoring unit created when the last Fianna Fáil/PD Government came to office in 1997.
The Tánaiste has retained the same "kitchen cabinet" of five people to cover her party and ministerial responsibilities.
Ms Harney has reappointed the same advisory team as in the last government. Ms Katharine Bulbulia is programme manager on a salary of €121,087 a year and Mr Iarla Mongey is deputy Government press secretary on €71,824 a year.
The Tánaiste, who is also Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has retained Mr Maurice Roche as her departmental special adviser.
Mr Oliver O Connor is working as Ms Harney's personal adviser while Mr John O'Brien is a departmental adviser.
Ironically, the man who has to approve the salaries of the Government's team of advisers, the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, is the only Cabinet member without a special adviser.
He continues to resist pressure from the Taoiseach and Cabinet colleagues to appoint an economic adviser to assist in his difficult task of curbing public spending.
Mr McCreevy is well-known for his stubbornness, and his reluctance to acquire outside expertise stems from his belief that he has done well in managing the country's finances.
Even if he overcame his reservations, Mr McCreevy knows that plucking a prominent economist from the private sector would cost in the region of €200,000 a year.
A Government spokeswoman said there is no job security for special advisers employed from outside the civil service. Their jobs end on the day the Government goes out of power.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, has appointed a civil servant, Mr Danny Carroll, as his special adviser. He is a former Department press officer and was, prior to his appointment, principal officer in the area aid division.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, has brought his press officer from Justice, Mr Tony Cotter, on board as a special adviser.
The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural resources, Mr Ahern, has appointed Mr Ciaran Ó Cuinn as adviser. He has also appointed a non-civil service press adviser, Mr Richard Moore, who worked with Ms Mary O'Rourke. Mr Moore was taken on initially by the Rainbow Coalition and served under Mr Michael Lowry and Mr Alan Dukes.
The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Eamon Ó Cuív, has not appointed a special adviser to date but has employed a press adviser, Ms Eadaoin Ní Mhonghaile, a former TV3 reporter.
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, has appointed the former head of research for Fianna Fáil in Leinster House, Mr Philip Hannon, as his adviser. Mr Hannon also worked for four years as PA to the former Fianna Fáil general secretary, Mr Pat Farrell, in headquarters in Mount Street.
The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has appointed Mr Jimmy Fegan as adviser.
The Minister for Environment and Local Government, Mr Cullen, has appointed one of his main constituency men in Waterford, Cllr Pat Daly, as special adviser. He also appointed a "press adviser", 25-year-old Mr Dan Pender. Mr Pender worked in the Fianna Fáil press office and prior to that in the corporate press area.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has appointed Mr Gerry Steadman as special adviser.
Mr Steadman worked with Mr Cowen when he was Minister for Health.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has retained Mr Christy Mannion as special adviser and has also taken on a second adviser, Ms Deirdre Gillane. Ms Caitriona Meehan has been taken on as press adviser. She formerly worked in the Enterprise Ireland press office.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, has employed Ms Sinead McSweeney, as special adviser. She worked with him when he was Attorney General.
The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, has two advisers, Mr Mel Cousins and Mr Tom Reddy. Mr Cousins worked as adviser to the former Minister in this Department and Mr Reddy came to the Department from the Fianna Fáil press office.
Mr Frank Lahiffe is adviser to the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan.
The Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the OPW, Mr Tom Parlon, has employed the former PD press officer, Mr Jack Murray, as press adviser.
The Chief Whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, has taken on Mr Carl Gibney as adviser. The Attorney General, Mr Rory Brady, has appointed a former Fianna Fáil local election candidate, Mr Loughlin Deegan, as his adviser.