AN APPOINTEE TO a €145,000 government job donated money to Alan Shatter’s election campaign in 2007, and previously did some work for the Minister for Justice’s law firm.
However the Minister for Justice has defended the appointment, saying that the candidate was chosen in an open competitive process.
Alan Shatter said it would be “completely wrong” if the donor had been excluded from applying for the job.
In an unusual move, Shatter made a statement within minutes of the government announcing the appointment of Declan O’Neill to the post of Taxing Master.
“As declared in my Standards in Public Office return, Mr. O’Neill contributed €1,000 to my election campaign in 2007,” said the Minister for Justice.
“As a leading practitioner in his field, he has also undertaken work pursuant to instructions from my former legal practice as, indeed, he has for many legal firms throughout the country.
As the outstanding candidate for this position, it would be completely wrong if he were excluded from appointment to it having been nominated by the Public Appointments Service due to his having made a political donation or due to professional work undertaken by his practice.
The Department of Justice this evening confirmed that O’Neill’s salary will be €145,952 per annum. He has been appointed for a term of not less than two years and not exceed five years.
The Taxing Master provides an independent adjudication of legal costs in dispute.
Declan O’Neill has over 40 years in practice and has been a partner in Cyril O’Neill, Legal Costs Accountants since 1976. He has a law degree from UCD and has experience of advocacy in the Office of the Taxing Master.
The recruitment was the first time in eighty five years that a Taxing Master had been recruited in a competitive recruitment process.
The competition for the job was conducted by the Public Appointments Service, the recruiter for the Civil Service.
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