Cullen appointed Leech despite using top PR firm for two years

FORMER Environment Minister Martin Cullen brought in his €1,200-a-day PR adviser, Monica Leech, despite the department already employing one of the country's biggest PR companies to work on a major project.

Drury Communications was paid over €200,000 by the department for work on the communications campaign on the National Spatial Strategy from 2000 to 2002.

Yet the minister cited the National Spatial Strategy as the immediate reason to urgently employ Monica Leech Communications after his appointment, without the contract going to full tender, and made no mention of Drury's existing presence.

"Shortly after I went into the department I realised there was some very big issues about to be rolled out within the department, for instance the National Spatial Strategy.

"I believed I needed a communications specialist at that time, given the scale of the challenge that was involved with the spatial strategy and I needed somebody fairly quickly to assist me in that regard," the Transport Minister said in an interview on RTÉ last week.

Documents released to Fine Gael environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd, under the Freedom of Information Act, show Drury's was already extensively involved in the communications campaign for the NSS at that stage.

The company had already advised on the drafting of the report, ran information roadshows across the country and organised the launch of the campaign on November 28, 2002.

In a parliamentary question response in 2002, Mr Cullen provided details of the payments of €207,423 to Drury's over the previous two years - the highest sum for any consultants involved in the NSS. "Drury Communications were engaged to assist with the communications campaign for the strategy," the minister said.

Yet a more recent PQ shows there were no further payments to the company, while Monica Leech Communications was paid €303,000 for 'Communication Consultancy' from 2002 to 2004 for advice on a number of projects. Aside from the NSS, Ms Leech worked on the 'Race Against Waste' campaign, Department of the Environment communications, Met Éireann, the Heritage Service and ENFO.

Environment Minister Dick Roche will be questioned about the awarding of the €1,200-a-day contract to Ms Leech tomorrow.

Drury Communications is regarded as one of the top three PR companies in the country and employs 30 staff.

Drury's was established in 1988 and its clients include Bank of Ireland, Anglo Irish Bank, CRH, Fyffes, Superquinn and the Licensed Vintners Association and previously included Dunnes Stores and Blarney Woollen Mills.