Special advisers to Government ministers earn over €4.5 million in salaries
The advisers’ pay ranges from €67,659 to €180,276, with 18 of them earning more than €100,000. By Ceimin Burke Friday 15 Jan 2021, 7:34 PM Jan 15th 2021, 7:34 PM 32,528 Views 90 Comments
Image: Julien Behal Photography via RollingNews.ie
Image: Julien Behal Photography via RollingNews.ie
THE GOVERNMENT HAS released details of a €4.5 million pay package earned by special advisers who counsel ministers and ministers of state.
The latest list of government special advisers published today shows the pay rates of 48 different media and policy advisers employed to provide advice to different ministers.
The combined yearly earnings of the advisers comes to a total bill of €4,508,405, however that figure doesn’t include the pay of Ala
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has claimed that Ireland will ‘soon’ rank among the 10 fastest COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in the world. Figures collated by Our World in Data show that Ireland currently ranks 11th globally in terms of the speed with which COVID-19 vaccination campaigns are being rolled out. Israel tops the list, followed by the […]
Bantry General Hospital rolls out vaccine; Nursing home programme accelerated
The HSE confirmed to West Cork TD Christopher O’Sullivan that vaccinations at Bantry General Hospital would commence today. AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin.
Breda Graham
Almost 500 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have arrived at Bantry General Hospital.
The HSE confirmed to West Cork TD Christopher O’Sullivan that vaccinations would commence for frontline staff this afternoon.
Bantry General Hospital now joins other hospitals in the Cork region that have been vaccinating healthcare workers at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19.
It comes following the news that the vaccination programme, which commenced in nursing homes in the past week will be further accelerated to deliver the first dose of vaccinations to all nursing home residents and staff over the coming two weeks.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin addressing the nation at Government Buildings (Julien Behal Photography)
Schools are to remain open five days a week, with final-year students alternating their attendance for three out of five days.
Other measures approved by Cabinet include closing non-essential construction from 6pm on Friday, and the end of click-and-collect services for retail outlets.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: “People have been asked to give up so much for so long that we risk losing sight of why we are doing this. So, I want to talk for a moment about the why.
“As of now, 3,679 people across our island have died after having contracted Covid.
The Department of Health has confirmed that close contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 will no longer be tested amid increased strain on the system. The news comes as an additional 1,620 further cases of COVID-19 were notified, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland since the pandemic began to 91,779. The pandemic has also claimed 12 additional lives in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the national death toll to 2,237. Close contacts of confirmed cases will be asked to restrict their movements for 14 days but to contact their GP immediately if