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

The primary reason this issue continues to be raised is that the Taoiseach has continued his policy of refusing to respond to on-topic questions and to deny the reality of serious lapses in what happened with this unit. I have now asked the Taoiseach four times to respond to direct questions about information released by the Secretary General and each time he has ignored the question and launched a political attack. I will ask it once again. Does the Taoiseach acknowledge that the report on best practice prepared by the unit stated that the work of the unit should be directed by public input, not political decisions? Given this, can the Taoiseach explain why €2.5 million in irreversible contracts were issued before any public input had been sought? Why was the work plan discussed at Cabinet if the best practice identified by the unit said this should not happen?

Furthermore, the Secretary General's report reveals that a significant majority of the €174 million State spending on communications is incurred by a handful of State agencies, mainly in agriculture and transport, which the Taoiseach stated would not be co-ordinated by the unit. It is a simple matter of logic that the claim about massive savings from the €174 million could not have been true. Can the Taoiseach explain why this claim was made repeatedly by him and his colleagues, even when he had the information to hand that it was not true? Finally, with regard to the research, is there a date by which the promise to consult will be carried out or will this continue to be delayed? The Taoiseach informed us previously that it would be available in February.

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