HOW HIERARCHY OF SECRETARIES GENERAL WORKS
WHEN it comes to the mandarins of the Irish civil service, who are known as secretaries general, all are technically equal.
However, when it comes to the actual pecking order of our mandarins and their political ‘masters’, some secretaries general are actually more equal than others.
The subtle divisions in the civil service caste were revealed by Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Michael McGrath in Dáil answers to Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy. Unofficially there are now four divisions when it comes to secretary general terms and conditions.
THE FOUR TIERS IN REALITY:
THE Department of Health stands alone as the new superdepartment of Irish politics.
After years of chronic failure and the overlordship of the HSE, it has leap-frogged the other great Departments of State to stand in splendid isolation.
The second tier (formerly top tier, Level I) includes: the secretary general for Finance, Derek Moran; the secretary general to the Taoiseach/the Government, Martin Fraser; and the secretary general of Public Expenditure and Reform, a post held by Robert Watt until recently.
One senior civil servant said: ‘These are the elite. They are the departments which attract the best-paid secretaries general and the most important politicians.’
The third-tier (Level II pay) departments contain the most ambitious ministers and secretaries general with both being anxious to secure promotion to higher levels.
Departments and ministries in this division include: Agriculture Food and the Marine; Health (though not for much longer); Foreign Affairs; Environment, Climate and Communications; Social Protection; Education; Local Government, Housing and Heritage; and Eamon Ryan’s Department of Transport.
Simon Harris’s new Further and Higher Education ministry barely squeezes in while Leo Varadkar must surely not be impressed with his nationwide status at Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Intriguingly, in a reflection of their lack of real political influence, the Greens have two ministers in what is the fourth tier (Level III pay).
Catherine Martin may have the Department with the longest title, but Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media are firmly anchored in the bottom division.
Roderic O’Gorman’s Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is also firmly lodged in the bottom tier while Defence [Simon Coveney] and Rural and Community Development are both part of larger ministerial portfolios.
The gradings of secretaries general were informed by recommendations of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector. It decided on three salary levels: €211,742 for
Level I, €201,555 for Level II and €190,658 for Level III.