FOUR MINISTERS HAVE special advisers whose pay breaches the maximum salary for their roles, new figures have revealed.

The latest list of government special advisers published this week shows the pay rates of 58 different advisers employed to provide advice to different ministers.

A total of seven of the advisers are on pay rates above the peak of the pay scale for their roles.

Special advisers are placed on the Principal Officer scale, which begins at €79,401 and tops out at €91,624.

Special advisers are allowed to receive more than the maximum of the pay scale if the department in question receives the approval of Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

This should only be approved should “the candidate’s existing pay and previous relevant experience to justify the pay rate now sought”.

Ministers Joe McHugh, Paschal Donohoe and Michael Ring each have one adviser who have a salary above the pay scale while Minister of State Mary Mitchell O’Connor has two advisers earning above the pay scale.

Two governmental advisors for the Independent Alliance also receive salaries above the maximum rate on the Principal Officer scale.

The restrictions on salary scale for special advisers do not apply to special advisers to the Taoiseach or Tánaiste.

According to the latest special advisers list, the Taioiseach’s chief of staff Brian Murphy has the highest salary of €157,433.