Leech’s pay more than annual wage bill of press office

MARTIN CULLEN’S €1,200-a-day PR adviser, Monica Leech, has been paid more taxpayers’ money than it costs to employ the entire staff of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s press office for a full year.

While Ms Leech works three days a week as a communications consultant for the Department of the Environment, the Government Press Office is on duty 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, dealing with national and international queries.

As Mr Ahern prepared to appoint an independent expert to investigate the circumstances surrounding her appointment, Ms Leech told RTÉ the past few weeks have been “dreadful”. She said that following legal advice, she won’t be making any further comment to the media.