Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We used to direct these questions to the Taoiseach's predecessor and it was very difficult to get an answer from him in a number of respects. The previous Taoiseach used to say the purpose of the communications unit was to monitor political events and make this information available to Ministers. However, through other questions Deputy Varadkar determined the cost of each Department's monitoring of newsworthy events and following politics in general and there is a serious amount of duplication. Was the communications unit included in the efficiency audit of the Taoiseach's Department? If it is doing the job it is supposed to do, why are there similar tracking systems in each State Department and, possibly, for every Minister of State? Is a serious amount of money being wasted if the Taoiseach's Department has this communications unit working efficiently and can relay to other Ministers what it has monitored and at the same time those Ministers' Departments are spending public money doing the same thing? If we are in the business of cutting back in the interests of efficiency, can I take it there will be no further tracking systems in each individual Department and the communications unit of the Department of the Taoiseach will supply all the necessary information to Ministers to keep them briefed so that in their busy schedules they will know what the public is saying about them?

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