A Cviil servant in the Department of the Taoiseach has been assigned as the liaison person with the three independent deputies who have pledged conditional support to the Government, the Taoiseach announced.

The three - Mr Jackie Healy-Rae (South Kerry), Ms Mildred Fox (Wicklow) and Mr Harry Blaney (Donegal North East) - have, according to Mr Ahern, "requirements and needs from time to time."

The civil servant dealing with them, who is a higher executive officer (HEO), also assists the Chief Whip in his dealings with all independent deputies as well as fulfilling other duties in the Taoiseach's office, said Mr Ahern.

"There are no costs involved other than the salary of the officer concerned."

Mr Pat Rabbitte (DL, Dublin South West) asked if the civil servant's sole job was to mind the three independent deputies.

"Does this mean that every Jackie, Mildred and Harry who come into the Dail now will have a civil servant assigned to them? Why draw a distinction between any three deputies and the rest of the members of the House?"

Mr Ahern said it was not the civil servant's only job, and over recent months he did not have that much contact with the deputies. "It is a system I used 15 years ago when I was chief whip and it worked to good effect."

The Fine Gael chief whip, Mr Sean Barrett, asked if the civil servant would be reprimanded if one of the three TDs failed to turn up for a vote. Did the civil servant's work include looking after rail tickets, taxis, representations or whatever?

Mr Ahern replied: "The person involved has no responsibility for whipping."

Mr Rabbitte noted that he had observed the Minister for Social, Equality & Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, "speeding to the station the other day to deliver Deputy Healy-Rae, which is the kind of humanitarian thing that any of us would do.

"Is it a regular arrangement and is the transport organised by the HEO? If so, who is driving Mildred and Harry?"