Ministers' offices are 'A&E ward' of State

MINISTERS' CONSTITUENCY offices are the "A&E" of Government departments, said Minister of State John McGuinness as it emerged that 187 staff are employed by the 20 junior Ministers at a cost of €8.24 million.

Mr McGuinness, who has responsibility for trade and commerce, said he had "no difficulty" with a review of the offices of Ministers and Ministers of State as part of overall public sector reform.

His comments follow a series of parliamentary questions by Fine Gael Mayo TD John O'Mahony about the number and cost of officials employed by each Minister of State.

Salaries of the 187 employees totalled €8,240,400.71 based on the median of salary scales.

Minister of State for Information Society Seán Power has, with six, fewest officials and lowest staff costs of €240,542. Minister for Europe Dick Roche and Minister for Health Promotion and Food Safety Mary Wallace have most officials - 13 each.

Mr Roche's payroll cost is €636,400 and Ms Wallace's is €518,000. Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Barry Andrews has the highest payroll cost at €639,000 with 9.6 employees.

Mr O'Mahony said the Government had "misplaced priorities" in appointing extra junior Ministers "when important programmes like the cervical cancer vaccination programme are cancelled".

He said: "With all the talk of cutbacks there is a need to look everywhere, including right at the top. I'd be saying this no matter who's in power. My concern is with the system rather than individuals."

Mr McGuinness, who employs eight officials costing €320,861.36, said he had "no problem" with a review of the numbers of Ministers of State, and the way their offices function, as part of the overall reform of the public sector.

Ministers of State "give value for money" because "we are the A&E ward of Government departments. We pick up all of the pieces that are simply not functioning", when the public do not get the service they need from Government departments.

A speech by Mr McGuinness in September provoked ire when he urged major public sector reform, describing the public service as "so protected by its unions that it has largely become a reactionary, inert mass at the centre of our economy".

He also described civil servants as "featherless but still plump State hens", prompting Labour leader Eamon Gilmore to describe him as a "pretty plump State gander himself" because of the number of officials he employed.

Mr McGuinness said he was misquoted and Mr Gilmore was "shooting the messenger, not dealing with the message", which was reform.

The "positive elements of OECD reports are often quoted" about the public sector but there are "a number of negative aspects and the unions have a role to play in looking at the system and if the offices of Ministers and the offices of Ministers of State are part of that review I have no difficulty with it", he said yesterday.