Helen Keogh
Ceist:1 Ms Keogh asked the Taoiseach the public relations budget which has been allocated to his Department. [3415/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taoiseach's Public Relations Budget.
An estimate of £30,000 — or 10 per cent of my Department's overall allocation for consultancy services — has been tentatively provided for public relations consultants.
As I mentioned in the House on 7 February, no public relations consultants have been retained by my Department on an ongoing basis so this provision may not be required.
Why is there a provision for an increase of 108 per cent in the Book of Estimates, in particular for public relations services? Will the Taoiseach say whether a proposal to increase the salaries of programme managers and advisers to the Government is under consideration?
This relates to consultancy services in general. We are simply saying that 10 per cent of the consultancy services in general are pencilled in for public relations consultants, which is what Deputy Keogh is asking about. I do not know whether we will need an appreciable proportion of that provision at all because, unlike my predecessor, I have not any ongoing public relations consultants working with my Department. The figure given here is approximately what it cost my predecessor annually to retain the services of a public relations consultant but, as we have not retained such so far, the Deputy may be glad to know that we may not spend this money.
It is dependent on how the polls go, is it not?
One learns to ignore these things.
Would the Taoiseach agree that it was a poor public relations exercise last week to berate my party for not investigating leaks in 1990, yet, when he discovered that he was incorrect, to send the Minister for Finance into the House to blame civil servants? Should the Taoiseach not have a word with his public relations people about having been misled in this way?
The Deputy is extending the subject matter of the question.
The Taoiseach dodged it. So much for openness, transparency and accountability.
After that answer it is very clear that the Taoiseach very badly needs a public relations consultant.