Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Under the Quigley report, there was a recommendation that where public relations or communications consultancy work was to be obtained by a Minister, and where that was of either direct service to the Minister or where the Minister was recommending a particular consultant to be appointed, the matter was to be notified to the Secretary General of the Government, who would then set in motion a certain procedure.

On how many occasions has the Secretary General to the Government been notified by a Minister in the circumstances I have described arising from the Quigley report? How often has the Secretary General been notified of such appointments?

In respect of the two public relations campaigns referred to by Deputy Kenny, Transport 21 and climate change, both of these are of no value whatever in terms of public information. Their only value is the benefit of self promotion to the Ministers concerned. Were those campaigns notified to the Secretaries General of the Departments before they were engaged in?

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