Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Galway East Independent TD is defending his decision to appoint his wife as his Dáil secretary.
Deputy Seán Canney says that his wife Geraldine has worked as his secretarial assistant over the past 12 years while he was a county councillor.
Deputy Canney says that his wife’s experience in the role and her trustworthiness in relation to sensitive constituency issues were key considerations in her appointment.
A considerable number of TDs nationwide – including in Galway – have previously defended hiring family members with similar reasoning – but some people argue that it’s a form of nepotism.
The starting salary for a secretarial assistant is just over 23 thousand euro and rises each year to a maximum of almost 45 thousand.
The Galway East Independent TD has confirmed that he will be given a Minister of State position by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny later this week, although what portfolio he will receive is not yet confirmed.