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Da´Il E´Ireann Vol. 666 Tuesday, No. 3 11 November 2008 DI´OSPO´ IREACHTAI´ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DA´ IL E´ IREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIU´ IL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Tuesday, 11 November 2008. Ceisteanna—Questions Taoiseach ………………………………… 497 Minister for Social and Family Affairs Priority Questions …………………………… 507 Other Questions …………………………… 519 Adjournment Debate Matters …………………………… 526 Leaders’ Questions ……………………………… 526 Requests to move Adjournment of Da´il under Standing Order 32 ……………… 533 Order of Business ……………………………… 535 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Order for Second Stage …………………………… 539 Second Stage ……………………………… 541 Message from Select Committee ………………………… 560 Private Members’ Business Vaccination Programme: Motion ………………………… 560 Message from Select Committee ………………………… 579 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage (resumed) ………… 579 Adjournment Debate Job Creation ……………………………… 597 Crime Levels ……………………………… 599 Army Barracks Closures …………………………… 604 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 609 DA´ IL E´ IREANN ———— De´ Ma´irt, 11 Samhain 2008. Tuesday, 11 November 2008. ———— Chuaigh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2.30 p.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Ceisteanna — Questions. ———— Departmental Expenditure. 1. Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach the projected cost to date of the communications unit in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29464/08] 2. Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach the plans he has to make changes to the operation of the media monitoring unit within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30106/08] 3. Deputy Caoimhghı´nO´ Caola´in asked the Taoiseach the number of persons employed in the communications unit in his Department and their grades and salaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34894/08] The Taoiseach: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. The projected cost of the communications unit for 2008 is \302,235. There are four civil servants employed in the unit: two executive officers, one staff officer and one clerical officer. Their salaries are \50,410, \44,931, \41,566 and \34,642, plus one sixth allowance for shift work. The role of the communications unit is under continual review in terms of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Following a recent review of the unit’s work, in conjunction with an audit of Departments’ use of external media monitoring companies, various possibilities were explored with a view to improving efficiency, eliminating duplication and implementing cost savings. To assess whether a viable alternative solution is available that would achieve those objec- tives, the Department of the Taoiseach has issued a tender for a centralised Government con- tract for the provision of a press cutting and media monitoring service for all Government Departments. Some Departments have agreed individual contracts with media monitoring com- panies to be provided with media notifications specific to their areas. To ensure that the most efficient and effective service is available in Departments, it was decided to explore the possi- bility of appointing a single provider that could provide a viable solution, leading to cost savings across the service. The tenders that were received are being considered. A decision whether to proceed on this basis will be made. 497 Ceisteanna — 11 November 2008. Questions Deputy Enda Kenny: Does that mean the communications unit, as it currently exists, will be abolished? In 2003-04, the Taoiseach’s predecessor as Minister for Finance had a bill for press cutting services of \1,800. I suppose that represented value for money. In 2007, when the Taoiseach was Minister for Finance, that bill had increased by 380% to \30,000. Given that all of this activity goes on in every Department anyway, can the Taoiseach justify spending \30,000 of public money on press cuttings when he was in the Department of Finance? This evening, the Da´il will consider a motion relating to the withdrawal of funds to vaccinate young children at a time when the Government is spending a fortune on finding out what Ministers are saying and what is of news to them in various Departments. Can the Taoiseach comment on that? At a time when children between the ages of ten and 12 are being denied essential vaccinations, it seems extraordinary that so much public money is being spent on getting public servants to take press cuttings and inform Ministers of what others are saying about them, or what is going on in their Departments. The Taoiseach: The public servants in question work within the departmental system. It is obvious that they are available to work elsewhere as well. The question of savings does not arise in that sense. The purpose of the service that is being provided by these public servants is to ensure that the work of the Government is portrayed accurately in the national public media so any inaccuracies, misrepresentations or errors are corrected quickly. That is the pur- pose of the communications unit, which has been in place for some time. The Department is ascertaining whether it is possible to achieve further cost savings by putting in place a viable alternative to the present arrangements. Deputy Enda Kenny: It seems public servants in every Department of State are required to dedicate part of their working day to going through newspapers to see whether they contain matters of relevance to the Ministers and Ministers of State in that Department. They have to put together a file of such clippings and present it to the Minister or Minister of State so he or she can read what the media has to say about him or her. This appears to be a replication of the work being done by the communications unit of the Department of the Taoiseach. At a time when the Taoiseach and others are rightly speaking about the need for real public service reform, why are the absolutely brilliant young men and women who have gone through the public service examination system and entered the public service being required to dedicate some of their time to cutting out, photocopying and pasting newspaper pieces and presenting them to Ministers? At a time of financial crisis for hundreds of thousands of families, surely public servants should not have to waste their time going through newspapers to find out what is being written about Ministers and Ministers of State. It would be easy to make some fairly radical proposals to deal with this problem. There is no need for facilities of this nature to be provided to Ministers and Ministers of State in every Department. The work that is being done at Government level is being replicated at enormous public cost. The Taoiseach: That is not the situation in terms of the work these public servants do. A small part of the work of some public servants involves giving Ministers’ offices an indication of the media coverage of what is going on in their Departments. The press offices in the various Departments provide much more assistance and value than that. It is a question of ensuring that the communications unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, to which the questions tabled to me relate, is working effectively. We are checking whether they can operate more effectively than they are operating at the moment. It is quite right that we would review the operation of the unit from time to time. Press offices are involved in far more than the Deputy is suggesting. Press offices provide for such a huge demand from many media outlets, both print and electronic, on an ongoing basis that the interaction between a Department and the 498 Ceisteanna — 11 November 2008. Questions public via the media is an intrinsic part of its work and, therefore, reducing that work to suggest it is simply about pasting is a little superfluous. Deputy Enda Kenny: If the communications unit of the Taoiseach, on behalf of the Govern- ment, is working effectively, why is it necessary that press units of Departments and Ministers of State must still involve themselves in gathering press clippings as part of their work? Surely, this information could be sent electronically to every Minister and Minister of State with them being told “That is the news for today. Your press office does not need to involve itself anymore in press cuttings”. When the Taoiseach was Minister for Finance, a sum of \30,000 was spent on press cuttings. At this time, he is well aware many people are under serious pressure and it is difficult for them to understand public servants being required as part of their duties to involve themselves every day in putting together press clippings for Ministers who are all absent from the House to find what is being said about them. If the Government’s communications unit is working effectively, it should not be necessary to gather press clippings in all Depart- ments. The Minister for Education and Science recently said he had a file of clippings about third level fees. Where did that come from? Did that come from the communications unit or the press office? The Taoiseach: I do not know where it came from, probably from the relevant section in the Department. It does not matter. I do not know what the argument is about. Press offices in every Department deal with the media on an ongoing basis in a range of areas. The Deputy knows better than I do about the proliferation of media outlets and one must deal with that. One can decide to deal with that or not but it is better that everyone deals with that. The questions relate to the communications unit and I indicated in my reply the initiative being taken to see if we can contribute to a more effective way in which the unit does its work of monitoring how the national media portray the Government’s work to the public to make sure it is an accurate reflection of where we are at and to inform Ministers accordingly.
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