Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

How often, in the course of a day, does the Taoiseach take the time to read the reports of the communications unit on its monitoring of broadcast and print media reports? I do not know what is the practice. Does the Taoiseach inform himself personally from this or is it done by someone else within the Department? How does it work?

With regard to tendering to the private sector and PR interests taking up the responsibility of monitoring and preparing a scrapbook, have invitations to tender gone out in the normal way? Has the Taoiseach had a number of responses? Is a timeframe in place by which a decision will be taken to offer a contract? Will the Taoiseach indicate whether tendering has presented? As far as I recall, the figure cited by the Taoiseach at the outset for the cost of the monitoring unit was approximately €302,000. Does this involve a saving? The Taoiseach indicated that part of the review was to identify savings. In terms of opening it up to private interests, are there signalled savings? I am sceptical in this regard but I would appreciate the Taoiseach sharing the salient details with us.

Will the Taoiseach note that whatever about the valid question marks raised by colleagues this afternoon in regard to the current methodology, that is, civil servants being employed in the communications unit to carry out this work, I believe that privatising this service would be an even less favoured approach?

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