SEANAD REPORT:INDEPENDENT MEMBER Rónán Mullen saved the Government from embarrassment in a vote on a Fine Gael attempt to have the House debate a party motion calling for a reversal of the decision establishing the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).

Following a 20-20 tie in an electronic vote, Cathaoirleach Pat Moylan said he was giving his casting vote in favour of the Government. Fine Gael Seanad leader Frances Fitzgerald then called for the traditional vote where Senators walk through the Tá and Níl lobbies. This resulted in a 21-20 majority for the Government.

Mr Mullen was the only one of the six university Senators who did not vote against the Government.

Jerry Buttimer (FG) asked when the Government would realise that it had an unacceptable number of advisers and related practitioners.

As far as he knew, he said, the Progressive Democrats had gone out of existence. Yet the party had a Government press officer who was being paid in excess of €100,000. The Minister for Health Mary Harney had a press officer on a similar salary.

The Minister, he added, also had a programme manager on €177,000 a year and a special adviser on €150,000.

Mr Buttimer asked if it was right that the Government had three separate press officers: one for Fianna Fáil, one for the PDs and one for the Green Party.

“How do people on the Government side of the House condone such excess in the interest of spin,” Mr Buttimer asked.