Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

The Taoiseach needs to clarify the real role of the communications unit. He is at pains to say that it is totally apolitical, having us believe that it could not distinguish, for example, last autumn between Percy French's Paddy Reilly from Ballyjamesduff and Paddy Reilly from Ballybough, his own Paddy the Plasterer. How realistic is that and how does he distinguish between a function whereby they can be the Taoiseach's personal eavesdroppers as opposed to providing objective reports to Government Departments? I ask him to illustrate the answer with an example. I can see how, for example, departmental issues in education, health or the environment could be monitored as the subjects of debates and so on, with perhaps synopses presented. However, last autumn, what exactly was the role of the communications unit during the controversy over payments in the 1990s to the then Minister for Finance — now the Taoiseach — from business friends? Was the Taoiseach given a rundown by the communications unit on what was a very political issue, but which did not involve Departments, of the speeches and statements made? Did he receive regular briefings on the issue along with political reaction to what was happening?

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