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Special Advisors. What's so special?

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  • 16-09-2020 9:17am
    #1
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭


    Yesterday Alan Kelly said in the Dail that the Taoiseach has 21 special advisors working for the Gov . These include 3 press advisors.

    In today's Indo it says that Eamonn Ryan has 9 special advisors.https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/two-green-party-councillors-among-team-of-nine-advisers-hired-by-transport-minister-eamon-ryan-39535041.html?__twitter_impression=true

    6 advisors at the Office of the Green Party leader in the Department of the Taoiseach
    2 joint chiefs of staff. Salary €139,628 - €159,725.
    Donall Geoghegan, who was a special adviser to Independent ministers in the last government. Mr Geoghegan was also programme manager for the Greens when they were in Government with Fianna Fáil between 2007 and 2011.

    Anna Conlan, the Green Party's former political manager in the last Dáil.

    Principal Officers. Salary €87,325 and €101,114
    One full-time adviser.
    Éamonn Fahey, who is a former Green Party researcher and whose CV includes positions at the ESRI, Pensions Authority and the Department of Social ­Protection

    2 Part time officers €43,662 - €50,557 per annum.
    Fingal mayor David Healy, a Green Party councillor for Howth-Malahide, who is serving as a part-time special adviser to Mr Ryan

    Niamh Allen

    Government press secretary
    Fingal county councillor, Ian Carey, as deputy

    3 special advisers at Dept of Transport and the Dept of Climate Action and Communications.
    They are:
    John McDonald(his former parliamentary assistant)
    Paul Kenny(former CEO of the Tipperary Energy Agency)
    Margaret Ward(former journalist and foreign editor at RTÉ)


    Why are these necessary? What exactly do the Minister and his Civil Servants do in their roles and what are they incapable of doing that requires additional advisors like these?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    jimgoose
    Registered Users Posts: 20,174 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    We're all special, you know. It's just that Government special advisers are Extra Very Special. Yay!


  • Options
    #3
    EmmetSpiceland
    Registered Users Posts: 10,527 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    jimgoose wrote: »
    We're all special, you know. It's just that Government special advisers are Extra Very Special. Yay!

    Some of the junior ones are “super”.

    The tide is turning…



  • Options
    #4
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭stockshares


    Fingal seems to be blessed with high calibre people.

    The Mayor and Councillor are so capable that they advise the Gov in their spare time.

    I wonder which gig is their priority?


  • Options
    #5
    James Brown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,015 ✭✭✭✭James Brown


    It's as simple as 'looking after our own'. Pigs in the trough.


  • Options
    #6
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭stockshares


    I find it amazing that someone who is at the level of Councillor can be deemed suitable to advise one of our rotating Taoiseachs.

    If the Councillor is the one advising then why isn't the Councillor doing Ryan's job instead of him.

    It's farcical.

    A Politician gets elected to do a job but needs to hire 9 other people so he can do the job.

    Now I know Ryan is a bad example as he's a complete bull**** artist with no substance to him whatsoever so probably needs these to cover his arse but there are no checks on this by the Oireachtas.


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