Taoiseach Enda Kenny has staunchly defended the €35,000 increase in salary for a former Fine Gael and now ministerial adviser.
“This Government has reduced the number and the cost of ministerial advisers by 30 per cent since the end of 2009 from €4.7 million to €3.6 million," he told the Dáil.
He added that “39 of the 41 ministerial advisers in the last government were then earning salaries well above €92,000.”
He told Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams who raised the issue in the Dáil today the former party adviser, who was not in the House to defend himself, “worked for the party which I lead for eight, nine or 10 years and was on a salary well in excess of the limit that was set” in the Government’s guidelines.
"[He] was in the job for five months before he received any payment”, the Taoiseach added.
Mr Adams had called on Mr Kenny to justify how he could justify giving the €35,000 salary increase to a “political crony” while at the same time finding it "acceptable to cut child benefit, disability allowance and mental health provision. "When is a cut not a cut?" he asked.
The Louth TD pointed to a reduction of 20 per cent in fuel allowance and in child benefit despite pre-election promises, “which will cost a four child family €432 euro in 2012 and €768 in 2013”.
“Explain why you’re prepared to intervene to secure a €35,000 hike, a pay rise for a political crony - €35,000 is more than the average industrial wage - and yet you find it acceptable to cut child benefit, disability allowance and mental health provision.
“How come one citizen can have these incomes slashed, services slashed and another citizen, a former Fine Gael adviser can be given a €35,000 rise in contravention of your Government’s own regulations?”
Mr Kenny told him that one of his jobs as Taosieach “is to sanction advisors. I do not negotiate in terms of salary scales for any adviser. My job is to sanction them or not. In this case yes I did send an email in respect of the sanction of this person involved.”
He quoted from guidelines under which appointments are made that “in particular circumstances where particular experience, technical expertise or skills are required or in exceptional circumstances the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in agreement with the Minister for Finance may sanction a higher salary rate”.
Brendan Howlin and Michael Noonan had opposed the pay rise.
Mr Kenny said: “The person involved here has his masters degree in economics, has a long experience of dealing with the ways of politics and was chosen by the Minister for Jobs and Enterprise for a specific purpose in getting people off the dole and providing opportunities for working careers.”
The Taoiseach said to the Sinn Féin leader: “In the two-year period to the end of March the Sinn Féin MPs claimed £969,328 in staff bills and you sir before your election to this Dáil, deputy Gerry Adams, claimed £106, 880 for eight staff in a parliament which you’ve never attended.”