Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As I said, the communications unit provides updates on media issues during the course of the day. I would see updates from time to time but I do not seek them out at any particular time of the day. It depends on how busy I am, but they are part of my papers as I go about my business. It helps to know what is going on.

In regard to tendering, I have not seen any tenders and they have been sought in the normal way. They will be examined and dealt with and I will be notified of the tender and whether it is intended to proceed with the new arrangement. I will await the outcome of that. I do not involve myself in the process in an operational fashion; it is dealt with at official level in the normal way.

In regard to the Deputy's question on privatisation, the objective is to see whether there is a more effective and efficient way of doing it than is currently the case. That will emerge presumably from the tendering process. If people are concerned, as we all would be, regarding the effective use of taxpayers' money in the context of doing the job we have to do and ensuring Government policies are understood and presented in an accurate way as we interface with the media on an ongoing basis, as the Government must, then if there is a viable alternative which offers a more effective way of doing it, why should we not consider it? Our intention is to address the issue raised in these parliamentary questions, which is to see what is the most effective way of doing this job, which is a small but important part of our business. That is the motivation behind it.

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