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

-----huge numbers of websites being collapsed into a smaller number. Savings obviously arise from that as well.

The unit does not have a role in answering parliamentary questions. It does not have a role in dispensing political advice and obviously had no role whatsoever in the political controversy in the past few days. That is simply not its remit.

I must disagree with one of the assertions made by Deputy Burton. I have never favoured an early election and certainly not an election before Christmas. I can guarantee everyone in the House that the events of the past week or two were not in any plan I had or anything I ever imagined happening. This is not a day for celebration in my party or for me personally given that it saw the resignation of a member of my Government. I know I am ascribed all sorts of motivations and levels of genius but I can assure the House and guarantee that the events of the past ten days were never part of any plan to have an election or to have it early. We have much to do before this Government is in a position to seek a new mandate and we have a three-year deal with the main Opposition party, one that I intend to honour and one I believe it intends to honour it as well. Deputy Boyd Barrett asked where the unit comes in. It comes in for cross-Government activities and campaigns.

See this speech in context