A reshuffle of Fine Gael’s backbench team has enabled Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to appoint a number of TDs to Oireachtas roles that come with additional pay of some €10,000 per year.
Mr Varadkar made changes to committee chairperson roles that come with the extra payment on top of the basic annual salary of €105,271.
Former minister of State Colm Brophy has been appointed chairman of the committee on European affairs.
December changes
The Dublin South-West TD had served as minister of State for overseas development but was dropped in the reshuffle of Ministers that occurred in December when Mr Varadkar switched roles at the top of Government with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.
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Mr Brophy who is also now spokesman on social enterprise replaces Donegal TD Joe McHugh as the European affairs committee chairman.
Mr McHugh resigned from the Fine Gael party whip last year after he voted against Government legislation underpinning the redress scheme for mica-damaged homes.
Clare TD Joe Carey has been appointed as chairman of the committee on transport and communications, replacing Kieran O’Donnell who was appointed as a junior Minister for housing in December. Mr Carey is also transport spokesman.
Laois-Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan stays on as chairman of the foreign affairs and defence committee.
Louth’s Fergus O’Dowd and Paul Kehoe of Wexford remain in place as chairmen of the committee on the implementation of the Belfast agreement and education respectively.
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Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell has been selected as Fine Gael party whip — a job that makes him eligible for an additional salaried allowance of just over €10,600. He has also been named as a backbench spokesman on justice.
Cork North-West TD Michael Creed has been appointed chairman of the Dáil members’ interest committee.
General election
In December Mr Varadkar told his TDs that he would be asking anyone holding an “officership” — including committee chairperson roles — to confirm they are running in the next general election.
Dublin Bay North TD Richard Bruton remains chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party and is also spokesman on the environment, climate and communications.
Others in spokesperson roles are Colm Burke (health), Ciarán Cannon (media, arts and culture), Alan Dillon (tourism and sport), Bernard Durkan (public expenditure), Damien English (finance), Frank Feighan (disability), Brendan Griffin (social protection), John Paul Phelan (rural and community development), David Stanton (enterprise, trade and employment) and Emer Higgins (equality).
The backbench spokesperson roles do not come with extra pay.
