Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The level of paranoia about the strategic communications unit really is extraordinary. First, it has absolutely no role whatsoever in producing or issuing statistics. Statistics on waiting lists are released by the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The Central Statistics Office releases other statistics. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government releases other statistics. These bodies have been releasing other statistics long before the SCU was ever created. My Department has no role in telling these bodies when they should or should not produce their numbers.

The top two positions are not political appointees. They are not special advisers. That is why they did not follow the special adviser process. That process is only for special advisers. The head of the SCU was seconded by the Secretary General of my Department. The other position was a re-assignment by the Secretary General of the Department. I did not even know that Ms Pappin was being assigned to that post until after it had happened, which gives a real indication of the extent to which I am involved in these matters.

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