Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Taoiseach if the strategic communications unit has been completely wound down; and the steps being taken with regard to the funding originally allocated for same. [39568/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Strategic Communications Unit has been wound down as of July 2018.

The review conducted by the Secretary General of my Department in March 2018 recommended that the budget allocation for 2018 should be reduced by 50% to €2.5m, which reflected existing spending commitments already made and that the overall budget for 2018 for the Department of the Taoiseach should therefore be reduced by €2.5m.

On Thursday 29 March I presented my Department's 2018 Estimate to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Taoiseach.

At that Committee meeting I informed the Members that my Department's 2018 budget allocation was to be reduced by €2.5 million from €35.891 million to €33.391 million, which is a reduction of 9% on its 2017 Estimate. My Department, therefore, did not receive the full amount of the funding originally allocated for the SCU.

At the end of April, this Further Revised Estimate for my Department was approved by the House to give effect to this decision.

In line with the recommendations from the review, the Department has reverted to a reformed GIS model, with a smaller budget, less staff and a more limited role.

In further alignment with the review, measures have been put in place across Government Departments which preserve the valuable and necessary reforms to ensure value for money, professionalisation and modernisation in government communications activity.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Taoiseach if he and his departmental officials have fully published the research procured under the aegis of the strategic communications unit. [39569/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I take it that the research referred to is the Citizen Survey. The Citizen Survey has not yet been run. I have already committed to briefing Opposition parties prior to the running of the survey. It has always been the intention to publish the results of the survey once available.