Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Is the communications unit still intact in the Department of the Taoiseach or is it part of the media communications wing servicing the Taoiseach's needs? We used to have discussions in the House about the unit's purpose, responsibilities and cost and the Taoiseach's predecessor used to invite Opposition Members to visit it to see what it was doing. Is that still intact and functioning?

The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, who is not here, came second in terms of spend to the Taoiseach. The amount spent on personal appointments, including advisers, in 2008 was €514,000. This does not include special advisers seconded from the Taoiseach's office. His predecessor, Deputy Bertie Ahern, said the Minister was given that level of staff because she was the leader of her party. The Minister is not now the leader of the Progressive Democrats.

Why, then, was a special adviser with responsibility for health and children to the Minister seconded from the Department of the Taoiseach? If there are 600 people working in the Department of Health and Children and 125,000 working in the HSE, why is it necessary to have a person seconded from the Department of the Taoiseach to be a special adviser to the Minister for Health and Children? Can the Taoiseach explain that? I fail to understand how this can apply.

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