Taoiseach's six advisers earned €800,000

A TEAM of six special advisers to Taoiseach Brian Cowen cost the taxpayer more than €800,000 last year.

In addition, the cost of paying 35 or more special and media advisers for Ministers across the Government is estimated to cost at least €3.5 million.

This does not include the salaries of staff and civil servants assigned to constituency work for the Ministers, which are estimated to be in the region of a further €3 million.

Among the highest paid advisers in the Taoiseach’s “kitchen cabinet” last year was his programme manager and principal special adviser Joe Lennon, whose salary in March 2010 was listed as €188,640. He previously served as government press secretary under Bertie Ahern.

The next highest-paid adviser was Prof Peter Clinch of UCD, who received €181,243 last year. He is responsible for advising on economic development policy, enterprise policy and environmental policy.

Oliver O’Connor, who left the Taoiseach’s department last September, was on a salary of €156,241. He provided advice on health policy.

Brian Murphy, the Taoiseach’s speechwriter, received €131,687, as did special adviser Gerry Steadman, a civil servant.

Pádraig Slyne, special adviser to Government Chief Whip John Curran, received a salary of €96,295 last year.

The official figures for the Taoiseach’s advisers do not include Government press secretary Eoghan Ó Neachtain, who had a salary of €138,655 last year.

The system of special advisers was introduced in the Fianna Fáil-Labour government of 1992. The contracts of advisers come to an end when the office holder departs. The salaries for advisers in the Government are, in most cases, significantly higher than in the UK. Andy Coulson, the highest paid adviser, who resigned yesterday, was on a salary of €164,000. In response to a parliamentary question by Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton, official figures show that Minister for the Environment John Gormley has four advisers, the highest paid of whom is his programme manager, Donall Geoghegan. He received a salary of €168,000 last year.

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has two special advisers, Dr Alan Ahearne, an economics lecturer from NUI Galway (€131,308 per year) and political adviser Cathy Herbert, who is on a salary range of €84,066-€103,982.

Mr Cowen has defended the number of advisers hired by the Government and said they offer expert advice across a wide number of areas. The Taoiseach’s advisers may also attend meetings of Cabinet committees and cross-departmental teams relevant to their responsibilities. They also liaise on his behalf with organisations and interest groups outside of Government.