New group to vet State-hired PR

THREE top civil servants will be appointed next week to vet any private sector public relations consultants that the State hires in future, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern confirmed yesterday.

Mr Ahern is withdrawing from ministers the power to directly hire private sector public relations consultants in a bid to end the controversy over the awarding of the lucrative €390,000 contract to Transport Minister Martin Cullen’s associate, Monica Leech.

Mr Ahern said the new committee of three civil servants would be based in his department and include a member from the government secretariat involved in ethics; a Finance Department representative and someone from the Contracts Committee.

“That is the proper response to the core recommendation from Mr Quigley and will take this matter for the future away from the political system,” the Taoiseach said.

Asked if Mr Cullen would keep his cabinet seat no matter what the Standards in Public Officers Commission (SPOC) investigation into these contracts finds next week, the Taoiseach said: “That is a separate matter and they (SPOC) have to look at that.”

If Mr Cullen is found to have breached the Ethics in Public Office Acts, the Oireachtas has the power to censure him or to suspend him from the Dáil with or without pay for a set period of time.

Meanwhile, President Mary McAleese provoked the wrath of Unionists yesterday by claiming that some Protestant children in the North were taught to hate Catholics in the same way that the Germans of the Hitler era had been taught to hate Jews.

Asked if the President’s comments had damaged the peace process, the Taoiseach said it would be entirely inappropriate for him to comment.

“But I want to confirm that the Government is enormously grateful for the work that the President has done in building, developing, expanding peace reconciliation to all parts of Northern Ireland,” he said.

Mr Ahern made his comments during a whistle-stop tour of Cork yesterday which started with the Cork Person of the Year Awards and was followed by a meeting with the Eamon de Valera Comhairle Dáil Cheanntair.

Mr Ahern then fulfilled a promise he made last year by visiting St Raphael’s in Youghal, home to more than 200 adults with intellectual disabilities. During a 30-minute visit, Mr Ahern met staff and residents and was presented with two paintings by residents Michael Burns and Michael McGrath.

The Taoiseach also officially opened the new €2.5 million clubhouse at St Vincents GAA club in Cork’s northside and got a chance to hold the All-Ireland McCarthy cup, won by Cork hurlers last year.