Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2004
65 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the role a person (details supplied) played in awarding contracts; the role that person played in the Department; if the person’s role extended beyond that specifically stated in that person’s contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32789/04]
View answerThe person referred to in the question was engaged by my Department to provide the following services: advice and assistance in contacts between the Minister and his Department with the various media; advice and assistance in regard to the text and format of speeches, announcements and so forth designed to convey the policies of the Government, the Minister and his Department to the public or to provide information to the public concerning the services provided by the Department; advice on how the Department can use electronic media to best effect; advice regarding communication in the public forum of policy proposals under consideration; advice and assistance on gaining public and media support for initiatives taken and problems faced by the Minister and his Department; advice and assistance on improving the public image and media treatment of Government programmes and the activities of the Department; and advice and assistance on how the Department might best structure and co-ordinate its communications activities across the organisation as a whole The person's role did not extend beyond that stated in the contract. As part of these services the person named would, however, have participated in the relevant selection group to evaluate tenders in a number of competitions to choose consultants for contracts which would involve significant communications elements. These contracts related to "race against waste", electronic voting, the national Inventory of architectural heritage and the review of local government funding.
