Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

Following the review conducted by the Secretary General earlier in the year, it was agreed that the Department should go with a reformed Government Information Service, GIS, model, with a smaller budget, fewer staff and a more limited remit.

Accordingly, the budget has been reduced by 50%. The staff numbers have been reduced by four.

In further alignment with the Secretary General's report, the reformed GIS team now incorporates the Government Press Office, giving a total of 17 on the newly combined team.

This includes MerrionStreet.ie.

The civil servants in the reformed GIS come under the management of the assistant secretary for corporate affairs, while respecting the role of the Government press secretary and the deputy and assistant Government press secretaries in day-to-day management of press and communications. The work of the GIS includes the work of the Government press office, the digital team or MerrionStreet.ie, central support services for other Departments, providing services to the media, managing media events, and producing communications material across all platforms.

The GIS is supporting the development of the single Government identity, the single web portal project, www.gov.ie, and capacity-building in communications across government. The GIS continues to have a co-ordinating and supporting role for national, cross-Government communications, as has always been the case, but such campaigns are being led and funded by the relevant line Department.

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