De Rossa criticised for setting up research unit

THE Democratic Left leader and Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, was criticised for setting up a research unit in his Department.

Mr Peadar Clohessy (PD, Limerick East) said at question time he was "flabbergasted" to hear that Mr De Rossa had set up a five person unit without advertising the jobs. He asked if the jobs were advertised in the newsletter of Democratic Left.

The Fianna Fail spokesman on social welfare, Mr Joe Walsh, asked if the appointments were a means of getting former headquarters staff of Democratic Left paid for by taxpayers.

Mr De Rossa said the appointments would cost an estimated £91,718 a year. The unit had a civil servant at principal officer level assigned to it and was also staffed by five non Civil Service staff on a contract basis a research assistant at £28,000 a year an assistant researcher, at £18,000 an administrative assistant at £14,640 and two part time research assistants receiving £11,000 each.

The purpose of the unit was to enable Mr De Rossa to contribute optimally to the formulation of Government policy. The usual approach of ministers and party leaders in making such appointments was on the basis of a personal assessment. There had never been a practice of advertising these posts.

If one appoints contract staff to analyse and consider policy options from a Democratic Left perspective, of course, one appoints politically informed people rather than political agnostics," said Mr De Rossa. Mr Bertie Ahern and Ms Mary Harney had made similar appointments when they were in Government.

Mr Walsh asked if the move had Cabinet approval.

Mr De Rossa said the appointments had the approval of the Department of Finance and were charged to the account of Social Welfare. Mr Walsh said this was "another non answer".