Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will try to be brief. Am I right in saying that additional resources of €900,000, in addition to the €5 million, have been allocated to this unit? Perhaps the Taoiseach will clarify that.

I share the concerns articulated about the blurring of the distinction between what might rightly be considered a straight information campaign and straying into matters that might be party political. Who sets the work plan and programme for this unit? How is it decided what matters are appropriate to be dealt with by the unit? Is the unit involved in the commissioning and receipt of polling data, running focus groups and so forth? What controls and oversight are there for this? In setting it up, and let us accept for the purposes of this discussion the Taoiseach's bona fides that it is purely a matter of quality information and that he envisages it as a cost saving mechanism in some way, how has he gone about setting controls to ensure that it does not turn into a propaganda unit and that public moneys are not used inappropriately?

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