Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the work of the strategic communications unit because each year this Government spends, on behalf of the taxpayer, €60.9 billion. It is the equivalent of over €12,000 for every citizen in our State. Citizens have a right to know how money is being spent on services that can make a difference to their lives and plans that might make a difference to their future. They should know what it will deliver, enhanced services that are available and how they can access them. I understand the need of Sinn Féin to focus on Project Ireland 2040 because it is scared that a plan exists for the future of our country that citizens have a thirst to understand. Of course, I did not hear those Deputies make the same point when the Government used the strategic communications unit to communicate additional benefits that might be made available to the self-employed and when the Government indicated in the aftermath of budget 2018 what additional supports were available to people as a result of decisions of this Dáil. I did not hear them complain about the work of the strategic communications unit when it communicated to families what kinds of additional support were available to them to help with the cost of going back to school.

The reason is that at the heart of the politics of Sinn Féin, there is the creation of an atmosphere of permanent crisis. It is about creating the concept among our citizens that all the services and taxpayers' money made available is not being used for the benefit of citizens, and nothing in our country can get any better. It is why the party is so concerned about the work of the strategic communications unit and the ability of the Government to communicate on behalf of its citizens. It demonstrates how taxpayers' money can be used in such a way as to make a difference to the lives of citizens and communities.

It cuts against the very concept of politics that Sinn Féin offers every day in this Dáil. It is relentless negativity-----

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