Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

For many years there has been a set of conventions on departmental advertising, that they are not used for political purposes, that they do not glorify individual Ministers and that they are factual and non-propagandistic. The advertisement breached every one of those principles. It should be withdrawn from RTÉ. It is a breach of the Government's duty not to spend taxpayers' money on political propaganda. The phrase "Government of Ireland initiative" and the reference to the sponsoring Department is clearly a new departure which should be roundly condemned. The €5 million that has been wasted on this so-called unit should be spent on something else. There are many other candidates for that expenditure.