46. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the annual saving to the Exchequer if all Ministers' special advisers' pay in his Department was capped at the first point of the principal officer grade. [30910/14]

The Guidelines on Ministerial Appointments issued in March 2011 do not apply to Special Advisers to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. There are five Special Advisers in my Department. Salary details for each of them are set out in the following table.

The Principal Officer (standard) scale is €75,674 - €92,550.