The cost of appointing additional junior ministers "adds up very quickly", Newstalk's political correspondent Sean Defoe has said.
The incoming Government will appoint three additional junior minister roles, bringing the total number of junior ministers to 23.
On The Hard Shoulder, Sean Defoe said the cost associated with these new appointments "adds up very quickly".
"There will be three extra junior ministers, one of them will be a super junior minister [and will] attend cabinet," Sean said.
"Ministers of State get about €45,800 extra a year and there’s an extra top-up if you attend the cabinet worth €13,000.
"Then you have to take into account the advisors - they’ll be allowed to appoint special advisors and the salary is somewhere between €80-90,000 for those special advisors, so times that by three.
"They’ll also get a civilian driver - times that by 3."
Leinster House in Dublin, AlamySean said these costs amount to "close to €250,000".
The addition of three additional junior ministers is an attempt to "facilitate the Regional Independents Group,", Sean said.
"Now what the Government will say is the work of Government departments has increased," he said.
"It’s a bigger country, it’s a bigger Dáil, of course there’s going to be a bigger number of ministers and the workload has increased for the senior ministers."
Standalone junior ministries
Sean said these ministries are considered to be "worthy areas".
"They have said there will be one for fisheries and the marine - that will be made a standalone junior ministry," he said.
"Again there will be one for older people too and the third will sit within the Department of Justice and will be in charge of immigration.
"I don’t think anybody will take huge issue with those three issues being highlighted - but you will have a lot of junior ministers in this Government."
Sean said the number of junior ministers will continue to increase in future governments unless a cap is introduced.
Feature image: The Regional Independents Group L to R Kevin 'Boxer' Moran TD Noel Grealish TD Michael Lowry TD Barry Heneghan TD Marian Harkin TD Sean Canney TD during a media brieifng on Government formation at Leinster House, Dublin. Photograph: Gareth Chaney / © RollingNews.ie
