Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I was surprised to see the very well written story in the Irish Examinerthis morning about the launch of the satellite wing of the children's hospital in Blanchardstown. I wondered when I attended that event why it was such a cloak and dagger event, with relatively few public representatives of other parties there, given that all of the parties in Dublin West have worked to see that development achieved. That is the way with most big public programmes like the children's hospital in that all of the parties in the House have supported them.

One could have knocked me down with a feather when I heard the name of it was going to be the Phoenix. I said to the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, who were there, that I did not think it was a particularly good name. I noted it had international associations, not to mention the Phoenix Park being just beside it. Be that as it may, it gained huge publicity that day, and for a number of days it was practically the lead story in almost all the broadcast media and the newspapers. Therefore, it did what a media obsessed Taoiseach wanted: it got him the coverage, even though a couple of weeks later the Minister, Deputy Harris, had to announce a clanger, namely, it really was not on to call it the Phoenix children's hospital. I suggested it should be called the Dr. Kathleen Lynn hospital and I am not sure if the Taoiseach is still chewing on that or if he has now agreed to call it after a really prominent woman of 1916.

There was another story this morning, perhaps more sinister, that a proposal to have a publicity campaign in regard to the Garda was to be wheeled out by the strategic communications unit or was being examined by it.

Does this now mean that when a wrongdoer is caught, the Taoiseach will front the press conference, rather than the Garda Commissioner or those gardaí who acted in the matter? As we have seen in recent weeks, the Taoiseach has an array of nice jackets in which to appear, depending on the weather. If it is bad, the jacket looks warm. When the sun shines, perhaps the Taoiseach might be more casual. It is a media image that seeks to make the business of government to be about one person, one party and one Government. In Greek mythology hubris is followed by nemesis. If the Taoiseach flies too close to the sun with publicity seeking kites, he should not be surprised if, down the road, people instinctively begin to reject them. They are not on what the people's money is meant to be spent. It is given in taxation to be spent properly on the essential goods and services they require.

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