Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has not explained that point. He has included a new budgetary measure of €5 million without showing where the corresponding savings are being made on the expenditure side in order for the unit to be cost-neutral. Nobody is suggesting it is cost-free, but the Taoiseach did say it was cost-neutral and the onus is now on him to demonstrate this. However, I do not see it in the documentation. Will the Taoiseach also clarify the role between the Government Information Service and the strategic communications unit? Might a situation arise where political appointees and advisers could be involved in meetings with the strategic communications unit, formulating strategy and selecting the particular messages Fine Gael wants to convey and the campaigns it wants to run, as part of the Government and as a party?

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