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

First, the Government Information Service is broadly responsible for the Covid-19 communications campaign. The staff in the GIS are established civil servants. I accept the principle, as enunciated by the Deputy, that there is a need to keep the GIS non-party political and that it should not be used to advance a party in government. In fairness, over the past six months that has not been the agenda in the Covid-19 communications material. As Deputy Shortall noted, there are metrics on the reach and types of campaigns, for example, on business supports, the pandemic unemployment payment schemes and the advertising around all of that, the lockdown, the community call, business supports, well-being and the reopening roadmap. All of that took with it extensive advertising. We have figures on the people reached, the target audience and how high it was and so on. To be frank, it was also very helpful to the media, both national and local, in terms of their getting through Covid-19 as well. Fundamentally, however, it was about information. That is an important point to make in fairness to all concerned over the past number of months, and that will continue to be the case.

On commissions of investigation, the Estimate relates to those that are up and running and established. The three mentioned are the Moriarty tribunal, with regard to settling some legal costs; the Cooke report, in respect of Project Eagle; and Mr. Justice Cregan's commission of investigation on Siteserv. The cost relates to those three commissions of investigation.

With regard to the death of Shane O'Farrell, that inquiry had not been initiated. We are one week in government. We will examine these issues. There are various Ministers involved but we are very conscious of that case and have been for quite some time, as have a significant number of Deputies. I have met Lucia O'Farrell and I know the anguish she continues to go through as a result of her son's death. It is something we will examine and on which we will come back to the House.

Regarding the extension of maternity benefit, these issues are not as simple as presented. They merit examination and, as I said earlier, this matter is being examined by the relevant Ministers with responsibility for justice and equality - the outgoing Department - social protection and public expenditure. It involves policy issues. Some women's maternity leave would already have expired. We are looking at a cost of approximately €78 million. I believe approximately 24,000 women could benefit from this. That as to be gone through before a final decision can be made in regard to it. The matter will be brought to Government and we will come back to the House in regard to it, one way or another.

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