Enda Kenny
Question:1 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the total cost since January 2003 of the communications unit in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11473/03]
Ceisteanna – Questions. - Departmental Expenditure.
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:2 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach the nature of the work carried out by the communications unit in his Department; and the total cost since June 2002 in this regard. [15757/03]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
The total cost of the communications unit since June 2002 is €261,628. It should be noted that €58,358 of this is a direct cost to my Department with, on average, €40,645 being borne by the five other Departments which have staff seconded to the unit. Since January 2003, the cost is €93,497, with €38,090 of this being a direct cost to my Department and, on average, €11,081 being borne by the five other Departments which have staff seconded to the unit.
The unit provides a media information service to Ministers and their Departments. It furnishes news updates and transcripts which ensure that Departments are kept informed of any relevant news developments in a fast and efficient manner. In this way, Departments are able to provide a better service to the public. The communications units works an 18 hour day, based on a flexible rota of three working shifts. The unit is staffed by six established civil servants, five of whom are seconded from other Departments. The work of the unit means that Departments have greatly reduced their use of external companies and ensures they no longer duplicate work such as transcripts and tapes. It is conservatively estimated that the communications unit saves Departments approximately €175,000 in a full year.
The Taoiseach described the essence of the work done by the communications unit as informing Ministers and Departments of relevant news developments. Would he admit that part of the work of this unit is to monitor the media appearances of Opposition politicians – work that can only be described as political?
Will the Taoiseach comment on the remarks made by one of his former employees, Mr. Whelan, who referred to systematic failure in the Government's communications system, particularly in the defence of the Department of the Taoiseach?
Does the Taoiseach agree that, at a time when hospital beds are being closed and the disability sector is protesting on the streets, it is obscene for Departments to be spending €9 million in a year on public relations?
I do not believe the communications unit does any political work. I have said many times that it monitors what comes over in the various Dublin-based and national forms of media in the order in which they come. The unit makes no political comment and carries out no analysis.
I have no comment to make about any former members of staff. The communications unit is conservatively estimated, according to the old figures, to cost about €175,000. I am not sure what the figure would be on an updated basis – there have not been any updates for a number of years to work out what the cost would be. The communications unit spends €261,000 in full costs in a year and I do not think that is an excessive amount for providing a service to Departments, not only to Ministers but to about 100 users across Departments.
I assume the information is supplied to Ministers and Departments electronically – it is hardly posted out in written form. If that is the case, and no political work is involved and it is that harmless, it should be circulated to everyone in the Oireachtas by those electronic means. It only involves the push of a button. Will the Taoiseach do that so we would all know what we are competing with? Will the Taoiseach comment on the fact that there is an unprecedented level of anger in the community and the fact that the Government spending €9 million on public relations in one year is unjustifiable given present circumstances? He is, after all, the Head of Government.
It is a disgrace.
Today, in a written reply to another question, I have given the full costs of the media in my Department. Other than the GIS, I do not have any contracts or individuals involved in such work. I am not sure where the Deputy got this figure or how it is made up but I am answering for my Department and there is no such figure. An electronic copy is available to over 100 users throughout Departments.
Does the media still exist? The press gallery is empty.
That is not relevant.
It is relevant – the House should note the fact that the press gallery is empty.
An electronic copy is available to over 100 users throughout all Departments. Like any other information that is drafted or put together within the Government, the service is available to the Government side. I noted when Deputy Kenny was asking these questions that it was obvious the media had received lists of the format for the day previous and the Deputy would have seen that there was nothing other than the main items and a brief summary. That is all that is involved.
At a time when his colleague, the Minister for Finance, is asking all Departments to examine their range of responsibilities regarding cutbacks, can the Taoiseach identify what cutbacks he considers appropriate within the communications unit? Does he believe at a time of cutbacks in terms of essential services to many deserving people in real need, as demonstrated outside the gates of this House only this morning, that a communications unit is a priority? Does the Taoiseach agree that the time spent by people in this particular unit within his Department might be better served in formulating and implementing Government policy and Government commitments which have, by and large, not been carried through by Government during the past 12 months since its re-election, rather than watching the media reaction to Government or Opposition spokespersons?
The Deputy will be aware that €38,000 million is being spent across services in all Departments. We are talking here about expenditure of €261,000. The staff engaged in the unit provide a good service in ensuring that Ministers, Ministers of State and across 100 people in the system are aware of what is going on and are thereby able to react and deal with the issues of concern to the public in order that they can provide a more efficient service through their Departments. In so far as any changes under the embargo are concerned, the last individual who left the post has not been replaced, as is happening in many areas of the public service. The unit is now working with one person less.
Does the Taoiseach intend to allow the communications unit to continue in business? In recent times it must have been dispiriting for Ministers to have reflected back to them the accurate but restrained coverage of their performance in the media. Does the Taoiseach think this could demoralise his Cabinet, that he had better shut it down and make a saving and, perhaps, find some positive use for the money?
No. I do not intend to go back to the old system where outside agencies were used to get transcripts and tapes, thereby costing considerable sums of money and probably producing material a week behind, rather than the present system where there is a prompt service and people know what is happening and what are the issues and where staff in ministerial offices or elsewhere are aware of what is going on. That is an important service covering 18 hours of the day. It is neither reasonable nor likely that officeholders or senior civil servants would be in a position, during their busy working days, to watch issues, when a few sheets on the media can provide can provide them with these issues. When people want transcripts or data they can get them. As Deputy Rabbitte is aware, much of the national news each day is made up not only of what we say but of many other international and domestic issues.
I am worried about demoralising the Taoiseach's colleagues.
I thank the Deputy for his concern.
Does the Taoiseach agree that when one takes away the gloss, the communications unit is really the Taoiseach's own personal listening post and that of the Government? Instead of having some objective public service role, it is an advance warning and alert system for Government to be used for nakedly political purposes and to warn Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats of trouble that may be brewing in the long grass in order that the Taoiseach and Ministers can take pre-emptive strikes to try to minimise damage to themselves. Is not that the real reason for the communications unit?
That is not the reason; there is nothing pre-emptive about it. The Deputy will be aware from listening to his car radio on the way to the House that the benefit is they—
I have to do it myself.
All the Deputy has to do is listen.
The Deputy is not running the country.
The benefit is that information is communicated over 18 hours each day by five people to about 100 users to let people know what is happening. When they want tapes or transcripts – a service which has existed for years – it is provided efficiently at a reasonable cost. Successive Governments provided the service and according to the last figures available, which are those for 1997, the cost was €175,000. If Ministers or individuals in Departments become aware of something and take action, it is a good thing. It helps the efficiency of the system.
Recently, the Taoiseach's colleague, the Minister for Finance, stated that when a Government is re-elected the media and the public take it out on its members. Does the Taoiseach agree with that view? Should members of the public direct their anger at the Government's failure to deliver on commitments made during the general election campaign in May 2002 at the media rather than at the Taoiseach and his colleagues? Is this the ethos of the Taoiseach's colleagues and associates in the communications unit?
That is not the ethos. The Minister for Finance was following up on a comment he made a year ago in which he predicted what would happen in the year ahead. He was simply demonstrating that he had been right.