Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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401. To ask the Minister for Health with regard to his recent speech to the Institute of Directors, his views on whether it is appropriate that a Government Department, funded by the taxpayer, should circulate such a politically partisan speech; his further views on whether the press office of the political party of which he is a member is the appropriate forum by which to distribute such speeches, and if, in future, he will issue party political speeches via same; if the Secretary General of the Department of Health made any comment to him, formal or otherwise, with regard to the speech being issued by his Department's press office; if so, whether the Secretary General considered it an appropriate use of his Department's resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10123/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I want to clarify that my speech to the Institute of Directors was not prepared by civil servants. I was invited to this event in my capacity as Minister for Health and this contributed to the fact that the speech was subsequently circulated by email in the normal way by the Department's Press and Communications Office.

Both the Secretary General and I have given careful consideration to this matter in response to issues raised by the Deputy.‎ The opportunity has been taken to review the arrangements for the release of different types of speech that a Minister may undertake. As a result procedures have been put in place which will govern such situations in the future. Where the concentration of a Ministerial speech is on general political matters and competing party positions, the Department, in conjunction with my advisors, will ensure that circulation is not through the Department's Press and Communications Office. Instead one of my advisors or a party press officer will be responsible for circulating such speeches or press releases.‎ I am satisfied that the formalisation and operation of such an approach will add additional transparency in the use of Department resources which continues to see civil servants ‎engaged in a traditional manner consistent with their role.