De Rossa misled Dail on policy unit jobs, TD claims

FIANNA Fail has asked the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to investigate whether the Ministers for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, gave "false and misleading" information to the Dail about the appointment of five non civil servants to the political research unit of his Department.

Mr De Rossa, leader of Democratic Left, told the Dail last week that these positions "were not advertised internally or externally". There never had been a practice of advertising such posts, he said I have not departed from that norm

The Fianna Fail spokesman on Social Welfare, Mr Joe Walsh, yesterday circulated a copy of the internal Democratic Left magazine

Forum to deputies. Under the heading of "vacancies" in the August 1995 edition, a report appeared stating "A small number of vacancies may arise shortly in Proinsias De Rossa's office. The duration of the employment will be for the lifetime of the Government"

"Persons interested should submit a CV immediately for the personal attention of John Gallagher, Democratic left, 69 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1", according to the report. Mr Gallagher is the party's general secretary.

The report also stated that the work would require ability and experience in policy areas, research, communication, and computer literacy. Wage scales would vary but would be related to Civil Service scales.

Mr Walsh accused Mr De Rossa yesterday of giving "false and misleading information" to the Dail last Tuesday week. It had never been the case, he added, that applicants for vacancies in a Government Department were requested to send their application to the secretary of a political party.

Mr De Rossa made no response to the charges yesterday but his Government spokesman denied he had misled the Dail last night. "They were not Civil Service positions. They are not advertised in the public press. They don't go through the Civil Service Commission," he added.

The five non civil service staff, employed on a contract basis at an annual cost of £91,718, complement the programme manager and special adviser appointed by the Minister on entering office. They comprise Mr Angus Laverty, senior research officer (£28,000 a year) Ms Caitrioaa Mullaa, research assistant (£18,000) Ms Mags Murphy and Mr Paddy Gillan, job sharing research assistants in £11,000 each a year, and Ms Kay Lynch, administrative assistant (£14,640).