Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This will also allow the preparation of an advertising campaign led by the Taoiseach's staff. It is fair to say the expertise within the Taoiseach's Department has focused largely on recruiting communications staff and allocating €5 million towards marketing and communications advice he requires. I am aware that Ministers have been ringing around telling people to get their plans together so they can be submitted to the national plan. The rigour and criteria we were led to believe would inform the national plan have waned somewhat recently. I know this and word has gone to constituencies to get some sort of a plan in anyway because if they are not in the overall national plan, they will have no hope in future of getting funding. That is what seems to be happening. It is meant to be a ten-year plan but it will be the first without estimates or costing attributed to it. Will the Taoiseach explain the exact criteria being used for the inclusion of projects in the plan? Will he give a personal assurance that there are no cases of Ministers telling State agencies where projects are to be built in direct contradiction of expert advice?

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