asked the Minister for Finance the name, rank, salary, allowances and terms and conditions of employment of advisers and assistants, other than civil servants, at present employed by him or his Minister of State.

8.

asked the Minister for Finance the number of personal contract assistants employed by him and his Minister of State; the cost of each; and the overall cost to the taxpayer.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.

Miss Bernadette Grogan has been appointed as my personal secretary and Mr. James Reilly has been appointed as personal assistant to the Minister of State at the Department of Finance.

Both officers are on secondment from the Houses of the Oireachtas where they served as secretarial assistants. They have remained on the pay scale applicable to their former posts and in addition they are being paid a temporary allowance. Details are as follows: Miss Grogan's present salary is £119.52 per week plus an allowance of £11 per week and Mr. Reilly's present salary is £130.46 per week plus an allowance of £40.43 per week. The overall cost to the taxpayer is £6,805 per annum in respect of the personal secretary and £8,910 per annum in respect of the personal assistant.

The appointments, which were made under Civil Service Commission excluding orders, are temporary and will terminate not later than the date on which the present Government cease to hold office. The appointees will be required to carry out any duties which may be assigned to them at any time by the Minister for Finance or the Minister of State at the Department of Finance respectively as appropriate to the posts.

The situation has changed in only one respect since my answer to Parliamentary Question No. 699 of 26 January 1983 and No. 212 of 9 March 1983 in that Mr. Reilly's terms of remuneration have been settled.