Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

We have been over this ground. A small group of civil servants replaced a service that used to be bought in. They do their jobs in a non-political way. In so far as I have seen in the past decade, no matter what issue or person is in the news, they operate on the same basis. The one sure thing is that there is news for them to report everyday, whether big, small or indifferent.

There will be no change in the role of the communications unit during the election period. What is likely to change is the increasing references to the forthcoming election across the range of news bulletin programmes monitored by the unit. In keeping with its role, it will not monitor media coverage of a political nature. It does not put a political slant on reports. Its workers do what civil servants do best, namely, they do not include details or such content in the daily reports. They do not report on what is contained in individual parties' political documents. They cover the main news items of the day.

While the people concerned will not be around in the campaign, the Civil Service structure, the sections and units that receive information everyday, will be in place, as will the units which follow up on matters across the Civil Service. That is the function of the communications unit. It does not have a political function. Its news reports go to Ministers and press officers and officials in Departments. There is a range of people who receive the reports.

The unit is entirely apolitical and reflects what one would hear if one turned on the news. If one looks for transcripts or tapes, it will produce them. By and large, the unit monitors the national media and the main stations in Dublin, but it does not monitor local newspapers or data. It does not do the contract work done by outside agencies such as supplying press cuttings from newspapers. Its civil servants move around and staff are seconded from Departments. The same individuals are not there on an ongoing basis. The posts are not senior, data for which I have provided for the House previously. Theirs is not a politically advantageous role for the Government. If there was a change in Government in any form, the same individuals would continue in their posts, as civil servants do in any other section of the Civil Service. There is no difference.

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