Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Deputies who spoke in favour of this motion. All political parties, with the exception of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance have supported the motion and I believe that speaks volumes. The Taoiseach indicated that he is likely just to disregard the democratic will of the Dáil, and that also speaks volumes. I want to extend my appreciation on behalf of my party to everybody who has recognised that the SCU was an error made by Fine Gael. The spin is continuing.

A number of claims were made by the Taoiseach. He said that it was cost-neutral. We now know it cost €5 million. He said that it would be at arm's length from the Taoiseach's office, yet from freedom of information requests which have now been published by Hugh O'Connell and others we now know that the Taoiseach was involved in the establishment of the SCU and suggested the type of campaigns that it would operate. He said it would be at arm's length from Government Ministers, yet we now know that answers to direct questions to Minsters are being drafted word for word - with the exception of one word - by the SCU. The Taoiseach, in response to previous questions, claimed that the SCU was a recommendation of the Global Irish Civic Forum in 2011, and the Tánaiste repeated that claim today. That is not true. The one year update of the Global Irish Civic Forum is online: the Government should read. It originally recommended the establishment of a strategic international communications unit in the Department of the Taoiseach. The update, one year later, says that the unit has been established to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the reputation and business efforts across Departments and agencies to develop a message about Ireland for international audiences. That is very clear, but that claim is still made by the Government.

From freedom of information requests it is very clear that the Taoiseach was involved in instructing and directing the SCU. Indeed, in one email he says:

This is good. Notified Cabinet last Thursday. I think key campaigns coming up should also include the new childcare subsidy. Again, should be a thing that Government is doing for you, not the Department of Children and Youth [Affairs].

The Taoiseach's email address is blanked out in that email. Why was that done? Government email addresses are always published. Why is it redacted in that email? The email that was sent to the Taoiseach - I am assuming, because it is the same length - does not feature the Taoiseach's name. A blanked out email address has been CC'd. Is that a private email?

Did the strategic communications unit, and indeed senior civil servants in the Department of the Taoiseach, communicate privately with the Taoiseach on the establishment of this unit? Was the direction given to them relating to the childcare campaign sent from the Taoiseach's private email? Is that how business is operating here? I would like clarification on these issues, to put our minds at rest and to confirm that he is not avoiding public scrutiny of the Taoiseach's little vanity project, his spin project, and that this is all being conducted in a transparent way. It is about communication, after all.

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